RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Public Transport Authority has signed deals with several private sector firms to localize as many as 13,000 jobs for bus and truck drivers, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The authority’s Undersecretary for Transport Empowerment Omnia Omar Basmaq signed the deals during a ceremony attended by Fawaz Bin Zanaf Al-Sahli, vice president of Land Transport and other top transport and logistics officials.

The Public Transport Authority cited the three main goals of the deals as backing private sector enterprises, developing national manpower, and elevating worker skill levels.

The agreements, signed in collaboration with the Development Fund Human Resources, align with the Saudi Vision 2030 goal to reduce unemployment rates by increasing employment opportunities in the Kingdom.

Under the new agreements the Public Transport Authority aims to localize over 10,000 job opportunities involved with goods transportation and more than 3,000 job opportunities for bus transportation activities.

Each Saudi citizen taking part in the initiative will be granted up to SR4,000 ($1,064) upon registration as an incentive to cover costs including driving training, medical examinations, and issuing licenses. 

There will also be several legislative and regulatory incentives put in place to attract the workforce.

The Saudization initiatives by the Public Transport Authority aim to boost the development of logistics services, empower competencies and enhance the quality and efficiency of services provided in line with the national strategy for transportation and logistics.

The move comes as roles in management, procurement and the food sector are among 11 professions to be targeted by new localization initiatives before the end of 2022, the Kingdom’s Human Resources Minister Ahmad Al-Rajhi recently announced.

These initiatives have already contributed to raising the number of Saudi workers in the private sector to over 2.12 million, according to Al-Rajhi.

In a bid to create more jobs for Saudi nationals, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has already started the implementation of its localization program at amusement parks and entertainment centers.