What made this hiring special?

Manama : Job opportunities for differently abled people are widening up in the Kingdom, thanks to a resolution issued by the Labour Ministry. Until May 2018, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development Sabah Aldosari told the Tribune, a total of 524 job openings were made available to people with special needs in the Kingdom.

The surge in opportunities followed a resolution implemented by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development requiring every company employing 50 or more employees to induct special needs people on their payroll. While 524 appointments were made until May 2018, as per records, there are now 160 registered special needs job seekers on the waiting list with 76 of them being females and 84 males.   

“The decision will contribute in providing more opportunities to people with special needs in the Kingdom,” said Aldosari adding that the task was assigned to the labour inspection department. The companies in this category were then approached by the ministry with an approved list of qualified job seekers. The ministry, Aldosari made clear, however, does not force anyone to employ any person from the list.

Recruiting procedures are transparent, he said, with the companies allowed to conduct their own interviews. He, however, stressed that all the people on the special needs lists are selected “after proper assessment of their qualification and ability to work.”