Riyadh — Mubasher: The Saudi Ministry of Labour and Social Development has signed a deal with the Association of Restaurants and Cafes and the Human Resources Development Fund in a bid to step up the Saudisation in the sector by 30%.

The agreement will see 50,000 Saudis receive support to work in the kingdom’s restaurant sector, Arabian Business reported on Sunday, citing local newspaper Al Watan.

Around 36,542 Saudis are currently working in the restaurant sector, of whom 13%, or 1,156, are women, the newspaper said.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Development and its partners are teaming up to bring the number of Saudis in the sector to 86,542, it added.

About 289,491 people employed in restaurants and cafes across the GCC nation, 87% of whom are expatriates, according to the newspaper.