Cairo: The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, the Human Resources Development Fund and the Marketing Association have sealed a pact to groom and employ Saudis in marketing jobs in the private sector as the country is seeking to replace migrant workers with citizens, according to a media report.
Under a memorandum of cooperation signed by officials from the three sides, they will endeavour to localise the marketing profession in the Saudi private sector by upgrading skills and professional standards of the Saudis and boosting their competitiveness in a bid to replace expatriates with them, Okaz newspaper said.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development will study the marketing scene, coordinate with related agencies to draw up training courses for the targeted professions and work to fulfil the agreed localisation targets. The Human Resources Development Fund will, meanwhile, hold regular employment fairs across the kingdom, enable the private sector to achieve employment aims and support qualification courses.
For its side, the Marketing Association will determine training needs, prepare training content and define the targeted jobs based on market needs.
Regarding the implementation mechanism, the three sides have agreed to set up a joint working team to specify the targeted marketing jobs and aims according to a detailed timetable, the report said. There are no official figures about the exact numbers of expatriates working in the marketing field in Saudi Arabia.
Foreigners make up around 10.5 million of Saudi Arabia’s total population of 34.8 million.
Gulf countries have recently stepped up their efforts to employ their own citizens in jobs done by expatriates in an attempt to ease economic impact of COVID-19 on their nationals.
