150,000 jobs await Saudi women in sales outlet

Saudi Arabia’s market for lingerie and women’s accessories is ready to take in thousands of qualified Saudi saleswomen, replacing foreigners who have been dominating the sector. When the new legislation to replace foreigners with Saudi women at lingerie and women-only shops comes into effect on Jan. 4 (Safar 10), it is expected create about 150,000 job opportunities for jobless Saudi women, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported on Thursday. A large number of young Saudi women are qualified to take up challenging careers at these shops, thanks to the online campaign and initiatives launched by some Saudi women. The campaign titled “Enough With Embarrassment” launched by Fatima Qaroub in 2005 is the most prominent among them. A large number of lingerie shops have agreed to the demands of the campaigners to employ female staff. The campaigners have also formed an alliance with international companies to provide training to aspiring young women. The media committee at the campaign said that it has formed an alliance, in a pre-emptive move, with international companies to train women to work with various women-only outlets selling not only lingerie, but also cosmetics, perfumes and women’s accessories. “This was the positive outcome of our campaign aimed at employing saleswomen at shops for women’s accessories, and that resulted in the issuance of a royal decree by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah banning men from working in lingerie shops to end the embarrassment suffered by women. We have provided young women with proper training to take up jobs in line with the directives of the Labor Ministry,” the committee said. The committee noted that several international companies responded favorably to the campaign even though the ministry had delayed issuing the regulations. About 300 young women are now qualified to take up jobs at these shops. Qaroub said the campaign is still receiving applications from women who are ready to take up jobs at these shops in various regions of the Kingdom. “There are several companies and societies that are taking part in giving jobs to Saudi women,” she added. Meanwhile, the Technical and Vocational Training Council (TVTC) in Makkah Region announced that Saudi women will get enrollment at technical and communications colleges and higher institutes for girls started by international companies in cooperation with the campaign. “These institutes will provide proper training to take up various jobs at women-only shops,” the council said in a statement.