Saudi Job Revolution Needs a Tourism Boom That’s Hard to Deliver - Bloomberg:
Perched behind the counter of a mid-range hotel in Riyadh, Bashayer admits she was reluctant to take a job as a receptionist.
But the position was “better than sitting at home,” the 23-year-old Saudi said, asking to withhold her last name so she could speak freely. “Before, some jobs were considered low-level, so Saudis didn’t want to apply for those. Now they’re more willing to try different jobs. The mindset has changed.”
Finding jobs for the likes of Bashayer in the private sector has been a key challenge for the oil-rich kingdom, where attempts to lower unemployment have run up against an economic slowdown and a job market long reliant on cheap foreign labor.
More Saudis are joining the hospitality sector, however, as Saudi Arabia rolls out an ambitious drive to draw millions of tourists, even as joblessness among nationals has held above 12% since 2016. Last month, the government unveiled plans to attract holidaymakers for the first time, showing it’s even willing to bend rules on how foreign women dress.
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