RIYADH: In a move to support the growing role of women in the national economy, Saudi Arabia has included private female drivers as part of its over 10 new professions under the Musaned recruitment program.
This is being done as part of Vision 2030 which considers Saudi women an important part of the Kingdom’s strength. The national vision aims to develop their talents, utilize their energies, and provide them with the right opportunities to build their futures, contributing to the development of society.
The share of women employed in Saudi Arabia jumped from 21 percent to 35 percent in five years on the back of the Kingdom’s efforts to boost participation in the labor market. The figures were revealed last month by Saudi Human Rights Commission President Hala Al-Tuwaijri at the 52nd session of the UN’s Human Rights Council.
This comes as Saudi Arabia looks to broaden the scope of its domestic labor force by bringing various new professions including personal care workers, home guards, private teachers, home tailors, home managers, home farmers and home coffee makers under its recruitment platform.
The addition made by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is commensurate with the demand in the Kingdom’s job market, according to an official statement.
Musaned is one of the most significant initiatives of the ministry, which seeks to achieve the objectives of the National Transformation Program based on Saudi Vision 2030. The integrated electronic system was initiated by the ministry to facilitate procedures for the recruitment of domestic workers and to increase the level of protection of the rights of all parties.
Other jobs added to the platform include home attendants, home travelers, private speech and hearing specialists, as well as personal assistants and support workers.
The move is part of the ministry’s efforts to continue with its work on developing the recruitment market in the Kingdom. This includes providing multiple services to improve and facilitate the quality of services provided to individuals, resolving complaints and disputes that may occur between the contracting parties, in addition to ensuring their rights.
Last week, Saudi Arabia secured first place among the Group of 20 countries in the rate of worker productivity growth in 2022, according to a series of modeled readings issued by the International Labor Organization annually.
This 4.9 percent increase represents the highest productivity growth rate achieved by the Kingdom, from 4.4 percent recorded in 2021.
Much of this is mainly attributed to the efforts of the Kingdom’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in collaboration with government agencies.
