Saudi Arabia Offers 70,000 Jobs Through New Unified National Employment Platform

Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi at the launch of the Jadarat platform. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi at the launch of the Jadarat platform. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Offers 70,000 Jobs Through New Unified National Employment Platform

Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi at the launch of the Jadarat platform. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi at the launch of the Jadarat platform. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi government has introduced “Jadarat,” a new national job platform designed to simplify the job search process and connect job seekers with employers. The platform aims to make it easier for citizens to find jobs and for employers to access local talent through an efficient digital system.

The launch of Jadarat follows a Cabinet decision from February 2021 to create the platform. Last October, the Cabinet appointed the Saudi Human Resources Development Fund, also known as Hadaf, to manage Jadarat, which will serve as the main tool for national employment.

On Sunday, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed Al-Rajhi, along with Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb and Hadaf Director General Turki Al-Jawini, officially launched Jadarat in Riyadh.

The platform uses a digital system to quickly match job seekers with available positions, streamlining the application process.

Al-Rajhi emphasized the government’s focus on developing local talent and improving workforce efficiency.

He noted that Jadarat is designed to unify and verify job seekers’ data, enhance application processes, and make it easier for individuals to access job opportunities.

Al-Rajhi revealed that Hadaf has spent about SR3.7 billion ($986 million) on programs and products to support employment, training and qualification of Saudis during the first half of this year.

More than 100,000 establishments have benefited from these programs and over 153,000 citizens were employed in private sector establishments, he said during the launching ceremony of Jadarat.

“The goal of the platform, under the slogan ‘Ambition and Empowerment,’ is to unify employment efforts and data of job seekers in the public and private sectors, and to raise the quality and reliability of data,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Al-Jawini said that there are approximately 70,000 job vacancies on Jadarat in various specializations, needs and sectors of the labor market.

He highlighted Hadaf’s keenness on establishing the platform to review a number of international qualitative experiences and take into account the challenges that the labor market previously faced.



Motor Insurance Revenues in Saudi Arabia Grow by 38% in 2023

A car parking in Makkah. (SPA)
A car parking in Makkah. (SPA)
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Motor Insurance Revenues in Saudi Arabia Grow by 38% in 2023

A car parking in Makkah. (SPA)
A car parking in Makkah. (SPA)

In 2023, the vehicle insurance sector in Saudi Arabia generated approximately SAR 12 billion ($3.19 billion), accounting for 21 percent of the total insurance market revenue. This marks a significant 38 percent increase compared to 2022, according to an official at Standard & Poor’s International Credit Rating Agency.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Mario Shukr, a credit analyst at Standard & Poor’s, attributed this growth to several factors. Key among them were price adjustments for previously unprofitable business lines and a government-led campaign to reduce the number of uninsured vehicles in the Kingdom, which resulted in a surge in insurance premium income.

Additionally, Shukr pointed to an increased demand for vehicle insurance, including from leasing companies.

Shukr added that overall insurance market revenues are likely to grow by about 15 to 20 percent in 2024, with the vehicle insurance sector potentially exceeding this growth due to ongoing efforts to reduce the number of uninsured vehicles.

He noted that after two years of significant operating losses in 2021 and 2022, the vehicle insurance sector rebounded strongly in 2023 and is likely to continue performing well in 2024, thanks to appropriate pricing and robust growth.

However, he cautioned that one of the main challenges ahead is the possibility of increased competition in Saudi Arabia, which could drive vehicle insurance prices down again, potentially impacting operational performance in 2025.

Moreover, with rising costs at the regional and international levels, managing expenses could pose a challenge for insurers, he remarked.

In August 2023, the Saudi cabinet approved the establishment of the Insurance Authority, which aims to regulate the sector in the Kingdom in a way that supports and enhances its effectiveness and growth. The Authority also works to protect the rights of the insured and beneficiaries, contribute to financial stability, and establish the principles of the insurance contractual relationship.