Riyadh: The Labour Ministry's decision to ban salesmen from working in women's accessory and lingerie shops would result in creating at least half a million job opportunities for Saudi women, according to market sources.
The ministry has recently set a six-month deadline to replace all salesmen at lingerie shops with women. The deadline for replacing salesmen at ladies' cosmetic and accessory shops is 12 months.
The ministry's decision is in line with the royal decree issued by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz on June 4 to address the growing unemployment problem among women graduates and job seekers. A few years ago, the ministry failed to implement a similar decision to replace salesmen with Saudi women at lingerie shops.
The ministry's decision would help create up to half a million job opportunities for women over the coming two to three year period, according to sources.
No impediments
Prominent Saudi businessman Dr Fawaz Al Hokeir, who made huge investments in the field of women's accessories, told Gulf News his company started employing women at 1,200 outlets across the Kingdom. "We are now providing training to Saudi women job seekers to work with our sales outlets. We see no impediments in implementing the ministry's new directive," he said.
Dr Fawaz said replacing salesmen with saleswomen would be done in a phased manner within the deadline set by the ministry. "We are now giving priority to give training [for] saleswomen in lingerie shops. There are 400 Saudi women now under various phases of their training programme."
With regard to women who are interested in working at factories, Hatab Al Anzi, ministry spokesman, told Gulf News employers should provide them with dresses that are safe, comfortable and suitable.
"There should also be separate facilities, such as those for prayers and taking rest as well as toilets and the like. There should be separate section for women and there is no question of mixing with men," he said.
