A map of demand in Jeddah
Jeddah is Saudi Arabia’s sea gateway on the Red Sea, and a city of trade and hospitality at the same time. That is why demand from the port and the warehouses meets demand from hotels, restaurants and projects there:
- Jeddah Islamic Port and logistics: loaders, warehouse workers, forklift and equipment operators, and heavy truck drivers between the port, the warehouses and the factories.
- Warehouses and distribution centers: for retail, food and cold storage, where demand rises before Ramadan and the seasons.
- Construction projects: residential and commercial buildings and facades, which need teams that change with the phases of the work.
- Hospitality, restaurants and hotels: cooks, hospitality workers and cleaners, with their peak in Ramadan and the holidays.
- Maintenance in a coastal climate: heat and humidity increase the work of maintaining air conditioning, insulation and paint in buildings and facilities.
Jeddah’s professions and their guides
| Profession | Guide (in Arabic) | Ads in Jeddah |
|---|---|---|
| General laborer | Leasing general laborers in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| Electrician | Leasing electricians in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| Plumber | Leasing plumbers in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| AC technician | Leasing AC technicians in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| Mason | Leasing masons in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| Welder | Leasing welders in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| Cleaner | Leasing cleaners in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| Warehouse worker | Leasing warehouse workers in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| Heavy vehicle driver | Leasing heavy truck drivers in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
| Security guard | Leasing security guards in Jeddah | Workers for lease |
Security guarding has a rule of its own: only a security guarding establishment or company licensed by the Ministry of Interior may provide guarding services to another company, and all the guards must be Saudi.
Port workers have a guide of their own (in Arabic): labor for Jeddah Islamic Port and warehouses. For the other side, there is the page Lease requests in Jeddah.
Across the Makkah region
Jeddah is part of a large region, and each city in it has different demand:
- Makkah: hotels, visitor services and catering, with the peak in Ramadan and the Umrah and Hajj seasons. See ads in Makkah.
- Taif: summer tourism in the highlands, and the rose season on the farms and in the distilleries. See ads in Taif.
- Rabigh: industrial facilities that need maintenance and support teams. See labor leasing in Rabigh (in Arabic) and ads in Rabigh.
- Bahrah: between Jeddah and Makkah, and its businesses exchange workers with both cities. See labor leasing in Bahrah (in Arabic).
- Al Qunfudhah: on the coast to the south, covered by the page ads in Al Qunfudhah.
The guide to the whole region is labor leasing in the governorates of Makkah (in Arabic).
The seasons in Jeddah and Makkah
| Season | Where it shows | Professions |
|---|---|---|
| Ramadan and Eid | Restaurants and retail in Jeddah, and hotels in Makkah | Cooks, hospitality workers, packers and cleaners |
| The Umrah seasons | Makkah hotels and visitor services | Hospitality, cleaning, maintenance and catering workers |
| Hajj | Makkah and the holy sites | Early planning for pilgrim service companies and the businesses around them |
| Summer | Taif and the coast, and AC maintenance in Jeddah | AC technicians, hospitality workers and seasonal workers |
| The rose season in Taif | Farms and distilleries | Pickers and packers |
Seasonal work during Hajj has its own channel: for the 1446 AH Hajj season, the Ministry of Human Resources launched the “Ajeer Hajj” service for hiring seasonal workers on temporary contracts and issuing work permits in the holy sites. Check whether it is available, and what its conditions are, for the season you are planning for, and start early. The full calendar is in the guide to seasonal labor for companies.
Before you post your request in Jeddah
Work at the port and in warehouses is different from work in hotels and on construction sites, so write in the details of your request what tells them apart:
- Type of site: a port, a cold-storage warehouse, a factory, a hotel or a construction site. Each has different entry and safety requirements.
- Shifts: ports and warehouses often work in rotating shifts, so state the number of shifts and the hours of each.
- Heat and humidity: working in open yards in summer needs rest breaks, water and suitable protective equipment, so agree on who provides them.
- Housing and transport: the distance between the housing and the industrial area or the port affects the price and the start of the day.
- Entry documents: if the site requires entry permits or a safety course, allow time for them before the start date.
If your company in Jeddah is the one with the workers
After the Ramadan peak, or when a project on the Corniche or in the north of the city is handed over, many companies end up with a temporary surplus. Post a “Workers for lease” ad with the profession, the number and the shortest period, and follow the Lease requests in Jeddah and in Makkah. The legal conditions are in the guide to offering surplus workers for lease.
A legal note
Any worker who works for your company while employed by another company needs a documented arrangement, as Article 39 of the Saudi Labor Law prohibits this unless the official rules are followed. Document the arrangement through the government Ajeer platform or with a licensed provider before the work starts, and write the work site, the period, housing and transport into the agreement.