Jeddah, Oct 3 (Arab News): The Labor Ministry has started implementing a number of decisions aimed at regulating the work Saudi women do and increase job opportunities for them, said Labor Minister Adel Fakeih on Sunday.

Opening the Jeddah HR Forum 2011, he said the number of Saudi job seekers is increasing due to the growing number of university graduates. According to one report, there were 448,000 unemployed Saudis in 2009.

“We employ 8 million expatriates including 6 million in the private sector while thousands of Saudis remain jobless,” he pointed out, adding that expatriates send home SR98 billion annually in foreign transfers.

Fakeih spoke about the new strategies adopted by his ministry to fight unemployment by developing the Saudi job market and strengthening the national economy’s competitiveness.

“We have adopted 18 strategies covering all aspects of the ministry’s work and each one of these strategies includes a number of initiatives,” he said.

The ministry intends to launch 30 new initiatives including efforts to develop the skills of Saudi workers, employment for people with special needs, incentives for working in remote villages and regions and development of the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF).

Fakeih also spoke about his ministry’s plan to establish a strategic partnership with the private sector to employ and train Saudis. The new strategies also deal with women's employment, small enterprises, recruitment and house servants, he added.

He said the ministry was adopting both short-term and long-term solutions to fight unemployment. Long-term solutions include creating more jobs, enhancing efficiency of Saudi workers, strengthening the economy and intensifying coordination with other ministries.

Ehab Aburakba, secretary-general of Jeddah HR Forum 2011, said discussions at the forum would focus on developing a positive work culture, taking into consideration the expectations of business owners.

Organizers believe the three-day forum would set out a new road map for the Kingdom's Saudization drive, discussing best practices in utilizing local talent and exploring ways and means to create jobs for young Saudi men and women.

"We hope it would give a big impetus to the Nitaqat program," one official said. It will also contribute to reorganizing the Saudi job market, he added.

Saudi Arabia gives vital importance to HR development and the country has earmarked SR150 billion ($40 billion) in its budget for education and training, which is set to boost the Saudization process.

Meanwhile, Fakeih signed partnership agreements with NCB, Dallah Academy, College of Business Administration (CBA), Al-Watan Arabic daily and Phenomenal PR agency. The agreement with NCB was signed by Fakeih and Abdulkareem Abu Alnasr, CEO of the bank.

In a statement on the occasion, Alnasr said the agreement was aimed at enhancing awareness among school students about the ministry's concept of self-employment and producing a new generation of job creators, not seekers. It also involves establishment of several small enterprises in the Kingdom.

Other agreements were signed by Yasser Yamani of Dallah Academy, Nadiya Baashen of CBA, Hatim Moumina of Al-Watan and Shadi Zahid of Phenomenal.