Saudi- Labor Ministry takes steps to redefine work hours 

(MENAFN - Arab News) A senior Labor Ministry official has said the ministry is pursuing initiatives to determine suitable working hours for young Saudis taking into account views expressed by academics, businessmen and other segments of society.

While addressing a Career Day function organized by Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University in Riyadh yesterday, undersecretary for labor affairs at the ministry Ahmed Al-Humaid was stressed the importance of such forum in forging stronger coordination between educational institutions.

He said a panel discussion would be held at King Abdullah Center for National Dialogue to work out recommendations on issues related to work conditions, including working hours and weekends.

He said the labor market needed all specialized jobs, including those that require graduates of general education. He called on Saudi youths to enter the labor market.

The Labor Ministry official reviewed some misconceptions related to work conditions in public and private sector companies. He urged the private sector firms to employ Saudi youths after having proved their competence in all areas they have worked.

He said the ministry was working to find more employment chances for the youths through the Saudi National Manpower Tracking System, which is aimed at providing a database for job seekers and universities simultaneously to show them trends of market needs.

He said the ministry possessed no exact figures on unemployment rates in the country and stressed that all job seekers are not unemployed, as many of them are looking for better working conditions.

He said the Nitaqat program never inflicted any harm on the small-scale firms, as they are not included in the program.

For his part, deputy rector for communal services and IT Fozan Al-Fozan said the forum was an incubator for youth and was part of the university role in finding jobs for its graduates.

Dean of employment services Khalid Al-Shalfan said the career day was considered a chain that links graduates to the labor market.