Despite a campaign against the employment of women as cashiers in supermarkets, the Saudi Ministry of Labour has said that the experiment will continue.
The controversial scheme is being implemented in Jeddah and the Eastern Province, although it has not been tried in Riyadh or Qassim.
Deputy Minister of Labour Abdul Wahid Al Humaid told Al Riyadh newspaper that the ministry would not be put off by Islamist threats to boycott shops employing women.
Al Humaid also pointed out that women had few employment opportunities and urged people to cooperate with the ministries plans.
The Savola Group, the local conglomerate and franchisee of Hyperpanda supermarkets, has faced a Facebook campaign from a number of Saudis who have threatened to boycott the shop unless it stops employing women.
The firm is considered a leader in the employment of women in Saudi Arabia.
Last month, United Aziza Panda Co (which is owned by Savola) said it had already employed 16 women as cashiers in its Jeddah store and had plans to expand its programme.
“The women, compared to men, are really hard workers,” Panda spokesman Tarik Ismail told AFP.
“If everything goes okay, then we will expand the programme [in] the kingdom.”
The Saudi Minister of Labour is Adel Fakieh, the former chairman of the Savola Group.
Fakieh took over the job after the death of Dr Ghazi Al Gosaibi in August.
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