HRSD Ministry to upgrade Ajeer platform, expand secondment scope

Ahmed Al-Rajhi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development

Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi said that the ministry rolled out an integrated package of strategies with the aim of developing the Saudi labor market to a world-class level and enhancing the participation of Saudi men and women in various labor market sectors.
 

He told Al-Eqtisadiah newspaper that the strategies included main tracks that included sectoral localization, which aims to lay out localization plans based on labor market sectors, the regional localization that is aimed to support localization programs specific to each region, and the work patterns track that includes freelance work, remote work, and flexible work, and aims to provide multiple forms of job contracts.
 

The Ministry has successfully enhanced the participation of Saudis in the labor market and raised localization rates in several sectors, most notably health, industry, trade, tourism, and municipalities. The trade and industry sectors are among the most advanced in localization, with rates exceeding 70% and 50% for some of their respective activities, Al Rajhi added.
 

In addition, the municipalities sector witnessed an increase in the percentage of Saudi workers to 40% in some regions, said the Minister, adding that Saudization in the tourism sector reached 28% in some establishments, and more than 30% in the health professions such as pharmacy and medical technology.
 

Al-Rajhi also revealed that the ministry plans to upgrade Ajeer platform by expanding the beneficiary sectors, to include new sectors such as technology, hospitality, and health services, in addition to greater support for AI technologies to analyze companies' needs and provide recommendations on suitable labor.
 

The ministry seeks to expand the scope of secondment to include specialized workers, in sectors such as technology, engineering and health, in addition to adding training services that boost their skills and capabilities to meet the needs of companies, as well as improving transparency and protecting rights by improving digital contracts and electronic documentation, said Al-Rajhi.
 

Furthermore, the ministry is working to implement a set of measures in line with the market's increasing requirements for domestic workers, including signing more than 20 bilateral agreements with different countries to bring in support workers, which helped diversify sources of labor and meet the needs of the labor market, he added.
 

According to data available to Argaam, Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate in Q2 2024 recorded its lowest levels ever since 1999, as it fell to 7.1%, compared to 7.6% at the end of Q1 2024.