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JEDDAH: Public and private sector philanthropic bodies have assisted Saudis affected by the coronavirus lockdown with freelance and part-time job opportunities.
Initiatives were launched in a nationwide effort to provide financial relief to those who lost their jobs or suffered a pay drop.
Bab Rizq Jameel, part of Community Jameel, has helped more than 15,000 people in the Kingdom find employment this year.
The male employment rate reached 96 percent. The results showed that the majority of the new jobs were created in deliveries through electronic platforms during the shutdown.
Tahseen, a Community Jameel program, supports youth through seasonal and temporary employment opportunities. It has managed to achieve the highest number of jobs, helping to create 12,730 opportunities in the last nine months.
Rola Basamad, Bab Rizq Jameel Senior General Manager, said: “2020 is certainly an exceptional year, but the global health crisis has confirmed our ability to adapt to the current situation and address many operational challenges and obstacles.”
Naif Al-Rabee, Bab Rizq Jameel’s marketing general manager, told Arab News that they ran a campaign called “fazza.tech” during the shutdown. “Fazza” is the Arabic slang for support.
The campaign provided support to two parties: the private sector, which includes delivery and maintenance applications, and people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic or who were dependent on part-time work.
“We are looking for Saudi drivers to meet the needs of people requesting these services in large numbers,” he said.
“We connect the two parties as quickly as possible with additional work hours to fulfill the requests of the two parties throughout the Kingdom.”
The “Fazza Tech” initiative brought together 27 companies from the private sector.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development launched in February a platform for self-employment that aims to diversify job opportunities and increase job security and credibility.
Arab News spoke with Ammar Al-Sabban, creative director, screenwriter, voice actor, puppeteer and freelancer since 2008 who benefited from the ministry’s platform.
“The problem is that we never had any entity, legal representation or status in the Kingdom. So, either we work without any legal structure, and when I obtained that legal structure I had to apply to have my own establishment, ”he said.
He said you have to pay certain fees when starting a business, providing a location, and completing specific registrations. Freelancing does not require these procedures.
“Since the ministry started this initiative, I applied immediately. When it started I had a limited number of professions but soon more were added and once I found my professions I signed up.
“The process was quite easy and I received my permits in a day or two. You can submit up to five different services to register as a freelancer. It made my life so much easier. “
