It is mandatory for jobless youths to meet 12 conditions to entitle them for the allowance. The ministry or HRDF will not be responsible for finding jobs for Hafiz beneficiaries. In the meantime, HRDF has added three new fields in the application forms for the allowance. These relate to the electronic training program and e-employment program. HRDF has already chosen a limited number of beneficiaries for the e-training program on an experimental basis. All the beneficiaries would come under the purview of e-training in a phased manner. The beneficiaries would get their entry code to obtain access to the webpage of the program.

HRDF will also introduce e-employment services. Under this program, jobseekers can have access to job opportunities available in various companies and firms and will be free to choose any job they like. This program will be carried out in cooperation and coordination with private firms and companies. According to HRDF sources, the monthly unemployment allowance of SR2,000 for the Hijri month of Rabiul Awwal (Jan. 24-Feb. 22) will be deposited in the beneficiaries bank accounts effective today. During the last two months, a total of 665,000 jobless young men and women had benefited from the assistance.

Meanwhile, Talat Hafiz, secretary-general of the Media and Banking Awareness Committee of Saudi Banks, told Al-Madinah newspaper that the third installment of Hafiz assistance would be distributed through 1,600 branches of local banks and 11,000 ATMs across the Kingdom. All the preparations are in place to distribute the allowance from Tuesday morning onwards, he said.