Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has begun an initiative to create 17,000 jobs for Saudi men and women in provision stores, especially in supermarkets and hypermarkets across the Kingdom by the end of 2021.

The ministry has invited applications from Saudi jobseekers for the initiation of a program to localize provision stores and the deadline for submitting the applications will expire after eight days.

The ministry aims to Saudize provision stores, including supermarkets, spreading over an area ranging between 100 and 499 sq. meters, and hypermarkets with an area exceeding 500 sq. meters.

It is estimated that there are around 105,000 workers at supermarkets, with an average 10 workers in each branch. Most of these outlets come in the B category and there are 37,000 Saudis, representing 35 percent of the total employees, working in these stores.

There are currently 1,200 units including supermarkets and hypermarkets with an area exceeding 500 sq. meters. The total number of employees in these outlets is around 48,000. The average number of workers in a hypermarket is 250 while in the supermarket is 50 employees.

Most of them are large establishments, and the number of Saudis working in these outlets currently stands at 16,000, representing 35 percent of the total workforce.

The new Saudization program aims to identify the major companies and the most developed companies, to which the conditions of participation in the recruitment program in provision stores apply.

Under the program, agreements will be signed with these companies to offer jobs for Saudis and that is in coordination with the agency to sign the participation agreement related to the program as well as with the department for facilitating employment procedures and job stability support.