Minister of Human Resources and Social Development of Saudi Arabia, Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi announced that the Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) allocated approximately $986 million to employment, training, and qualification programs for Saudi nationals in the first half of this year.

During the launch of the ‘Jadarat’ Unified National Employment Platform, Al-Rajhi emphasized that over 100,000 establishments have benefited from these initiatives, resulting in the employment of more than 153,000 citizens within the private sector.

The ‘Jadarat’ platform, launched under the slogan “Ambition and Empowerment,” is designed to centralize employment efforts and job seeker data across public and private sectors. Its goal is to enhance the quality and reliability of employment data.

Turki Al-Juwaini, HRDF director, highlighted that the platform provides over 70,000 job opportunities across various sectors, with tailored search options based on region, career path, and skill set.

Minister Al-Rajhi noted that the number of Saudis employed in the private sector has exceeded 2 million, reflecting a significant increase in local participation in the kingdom’s workforce. The Jadarat platform is anticipated to empower national talent further and enhance their engagement in the labor market.

Launched in October 2022, the Jadarat platform integrates data from the Taqat and Jadarah portals, previously used for employment support and online recruiting.

Minister Al-Rajhi also revealed that the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) allocated $1.01 billion in the year’s first half to support employment and training programs.

According to a June report by the General Authority for Statistics, the unemployment rate among Saudi nationals fell to 7.6% in the first quarter of this year. This represents a slight decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter and a year-on-year decline of 1.1 percentage points.

Now accepting applications for Fast Company Middle East’s Most Innovative Companies. Click here to apply.