Saudi Arabia’s Shura Council members said the Labour Ministry’s Nitaqat programme has failed to achieve the desired results, according to a report.

“Companies manipulate the system to give the impression that they have helped Saudis get employed,” a member was quoted as saying in the Arab News report.

The achievements of the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) were also less than expected, said Saeed Al-Asheikh.

“Unemployment rates rose to 12.5 per cent in 2012 despite the huge amounts of money ($3.2 billion) invested with the fund,” he was quoted as saying.

Fahd bin Juma, another member, pointed out that the employment programme is focusing on major cities, while job opportunities remain scarce in small cities. The fund is also facing a problem employing Saudis in small and medium-sized enterprises.

The HRDF has spent more than SR90 million ($23.9 million) on plans and studies, said the report.