JEDDAH — The Saudization of jobs at shopping malls in Jeddah has reached 40 percent, according to the committee for commercial centers at Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Mohammad Alawi, head of the committee, has said the number of Saudi employees will double in the near future. He pointed out that Saudis are being assigned different jobs in malls.

He added that the retail sector is capable of providing jobs for both men and women in line with the government's strategies to reduce the rate of unemployment among citizens.

According to Alawi, there are some 2,000 malls all over the Kingdom.

He hoped that these malls would contribute to the economic growth in the country. He said that they seek to contribute to the development of malls and find solutions to obstacles facing them, taking into consideration the special nature of Saudi society and its culture.

He added that the entertainment industry is also growing in the Kingdom, particularly indoor entertainment due to the hot climate in the Kingdom.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Development has announced in April that it will implement total Saudization in shopping malls following the telecom sector.

The Qassim governorate has signed an agreement with the ministry earlier this year to Saudize malls in the province within a period of one year, which is ending next week. The agreement was expected to create at least 4,500 jobs for young Saudis.

According to media reports, Saudization of malls will generate 200,000 jobs around the Kingdom. The National Transformation Plan aims at create million jobs in the retail sector by 2020.

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