Riyadh – Mubasher: The Saudi program (Hafiz) has given 577,000 unemployed Saudi citizens an access to a number of Job opportunities since its establishment, said Abdul Karim Al-Najaidi, the Deputy Executive General Manager of the Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF).

The private sector received 90% of the applicants, which proves that this sector is expanding its employment base, Al–Najaidi revealed.  

The Hafiz program, which pays unemployed Saudis SAR 2,000 ($533) a month for up to one year, was announced by King Abdullah during the Arab uprisings last spring and introduced in late 2011.

The program is still open its door for unemployed Saudi citizens who have not registered in the program and fulfilled its requirements, the general manager added.

Regarding the National Labor Gateway “Taqat”, the general manager concluded that it is the hugest employment network in the kingdom that provides training and employment services.