RIYADH: The Ministry of Labor and Social Development said that the plan to implement third phase of its decision on feminizing and nationalizing shops selling women’s accessories at indoor malls, outdoor shopping centers and independent stores will start Oct. 21; the decision has been welcomed by women across the country.
Emphasizing that this third phase was to begin last Oct. 2, the delay gave both the establishments and employers the opportunity to prepare female-friendly workplaces in a better way.
The decision comes within the efforts and the commitment of the ministry to ensure proper provision of suitable and stable work environments, and expand work fields for Saudi women in the private sector, thus contributing to productivity and motivation in the workplace.
It further said that the third phase follows the earlier implemented first and second phases targeting stores selling women’s accessories such as perfumes, shoes, socks, purses, ready-to-wear clothes and women’s fabrics, in addition to department stores selling only women’s garments and other accessories.
Moreover, the decision also covers independent stores that sell gowns, wedding dresses, abayas (cloaks), jalabiyas (traditional dresses), mother-care products and other related accessories, as well as pharmacies with sections that sell cosmetics.
Welcoming the move Hayat Al-Maskeen, a public relations manager in Riyadh told Arab News Wednesday: “Feminizing these women-only stores in the Kingdom is a great step and I support it for creating opportunities for Saudi women.”
She, however, underscored that proper training should be provided to each employee for efficient customer service.
“We go shopping and pay for purchased accessories expecting good service in return, but sometimes girls in the sales segment lack the required skills; fulfilling that will make the decision even better,” she pointed out.
Iffat, a shopper at a city mall, said: “We welcome the move; it will make shopping more women friendly, and dealing with women staff is a better idea.”
Efforts for female-only staff in Saudi women’s wear shops welcomed
Efforts for female-only staff in Saudi women’s wear shops welcomed
Saudi fund provides $10m to UN to supply Sudan with drinking water
- Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, UN and Sudanese representatives signed the grant agreement
- It focuses on rehabilitating and expanding Sudan’s main water networks and improving the Nile River water supply in Khartoum
LONDON: Saudi Arabia is providing a $10 million grant to the UN to supply conflict-stricken Sudan with fresh, sustainable water and to rehabilitate war-damaged pipeline networks.
A grant memorandum of understanding was signed on Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland, by Sultan Abdulrahman Al-Marshad, CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development; Hassan Hamid Hassan, Sudanese permanent representative to the UN; and Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
The memorandum focuses on rehabilitating and expanding Sudan’s main water networks, improving the Nile River water supply in the capital, Khartoum, and enhancing solar energy operations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
It aims to improve access to drinking water for Sudanese communities, reduce the risks of disease and epidemics associated with contamination, and promote public health, it added.
Al-Marshad said that the MoU enhanced the water sector’s infrastructure and provided sustainable solutions to address urgent needs while supporting long-term development in Sudan.
Salih said that access to basic services, such as water, would help Sudanese communities achieve stabilization.
“This generous financial support not only meets urgent water needs, but also enhances the resilience and self-reliance of people in conflict zones, develops the vital systems on which communities depend,” he said.
The Saudi Fund for Development has financed 18 projects in collaboration with the UN in eight developing countries over the past 10 years, including Pakistan, Gaza, Lebanon and Somalia, among others. These projects have a total value of $85 million and have contributed to the well-being of communities, benefiting more than five million people.
