20,000 Haj jobs lined up for Saudis

August 15, 2014

Jeddah, Aug 15: More than 20,000 seasonal jobs are available for Saudis during the upcoming Haj season, said Marwan Zubaidi, secretary-general of the General Syndicate of Cars and official spokesman for Haj transport companies.

Zubaidi confirmed , however, that many Saudis are still reluctant to take on such jobs, which were announced by the union more than two months ago.

“Drivers and technicians will earn a minimum of SR3,000, in addition to other incentives, bonuses and benefits,” he said. “Candidates can still apply up until Aug. 31.”

“Only 114 young applicants have expressed interest in working as drivers or technicians,” said Zubaidi. “We have even received approval for fifth-ranking government sector employees to acquire paid leave to take on these positions during Haj.”

He added: “Several reasons account for this low turnout, not least of which include the demanding and tiring nature of these seasonal jobs.”

Zubaidi said: “The syndicate, nevertheless, has been coming up with additional incentives and has launched a media campaign to target and attract Saudis to these positions.”

He added: “We have also called for the formation of a committee consisting of representatives from the Kingdom’s traffic authority, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and the Human Resources Development Fund, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Transportation, to help fill these seasonal vacancies in the transportation sector and offer attractive benefits, compensation and training.”

He said all citizens, including unemployed individuals and fifth-ranking government sector employees, can work for the companies transporting pilgrims during the Haj season between Makkah and Madinah by air, land and sea.

Drivers must acquire public drivers’ licenses for transporting large numbers of passengers, while technicians must have educational of professional experience certification, in addition to a national identity card and a letter to transfer employment from a government sector position.

Applicants must also undergo a medical examination and must be between the ages of 21 and 60 to qualify.

“Lack of interest in seasonal jobs is a problem we have been facing for a long time,” businessman Ziad Farsi, who owns one of the largest Haj transportation companies, told Arab News.

He said the problem can be solved through the provision of more training and development programs by the TVTC.

“More than 20 companies currently operate in the Haj transportation field in Makkah and can potentially employ thousands of Saudi youth,” he said.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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