RIYADH: A Saudi development fund has pumped SR4.18 million ($1.11 million) into two unemployment programs in the Kingdom. The Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) made payments in February this year to 278,000 beneficiaries of the Hafiz schemes, which aim to help the jobless find work. More than 145,000 Saudis on the job seeker program received payouts from the fund, while 133,000 people on an initiative for those having particular difficulty getting a job, also benefitted. Through its funding, HADAF aims to stimulate the Kingdom’s private sector through the creation of productive and stable working environments and the development of staff skills. To help with this, the fund has transformed around 22 of its branches throughout the Kingdom into employment centers to help Saudis take up jobs in the private sector while also meeting the training and qualification requirements of private employers.