132,000 inspection rounds target women-only shops, uncovering 16,000 violations, 113,000 law-abiding firms compared to 19,000 firms failing to comply with decision

The Ministry of Labor and Social Development (MLSD) said on Monday labor inspectors have conducted 132,576 inspection rounds on shopping centers and independent stores in various regions of the Kingdom since 21st October 2017. It is in a bid to make sure employers comply with the decision aiming to feminize and nationalize women-only shops in its third phase, which is in cooperation with several government entities. Khaled Abalkhail, spokesman for MLSD, clarified the inspection campaigns uncovered 113,353 establishments that comply with the decision compared to 19,223 failing to do so. Abalkhail pointed out the inspection campaigns detected 16,231 violations related to the labor decision, including 5,619 nationalization violations and 8,263 feminization violations during the crackdown. He added: ‘The remaining number of other labor violations stood at 2,277 as the labor inspectors warned 11,574 establishments of closure if they continue to ignore the decision.’ Abalkhail urged customers to report labor violations or submit inquiries through dialing the customer service No. (19911) or using the ‘Ma3an lil Rasd’ app on smart phones. Meanwhile, the third phase of the decision kicked off on 21st Oct. 2017 to nationalize and feminize shops selling women-only necessities, namely perfumes, shoes, bags, women socks, ready-to-wear cloths, kiosks and women fabrics, in addition to department stores selling women cloths along with other staples. It also targets independent and small stores that sell soiree gowns, wedding dresses, Abaya (cloaks), accessories, Jalabiyas (traditional dresses), mother-care products and pharmacies with sections that sell accessories and cosmetics at indoor malls. In support of the move, the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) has offered an array of services for female workers, including the children hospitality program ‘Qurrah’ and the transportation program ‘Wusool’ for the working woman in order to increase the number of Saudi women in the workforce.