There have been calls to ban foreigners from doing certain jobs on the grounds that those jobs can be done by young Saudis. Some examples of the jobs are barbers, plumbers and electricians. All of us want to see our Saudi youth replace expatriates in all the jobs they are currently doing. We should take a first step with the smallest jobs and at the same time, we must admit the obstacles and problems surrounding the process. Everyone wants to see the problem of unemployment being permanently solved with every citizen who wants a job having one.
A great stumbling block lies in the fact that people still look down on certain jobs. Many people believe that these are jobs to be done by certain individuals of a different class or nationality. Such views are wrong, counterproductive and must be resisted. There is nothing wrong or disgraceful with any kind of work as long as it is honest, legal and provides money for a decent life. Manual labor should not be looked down upon or treated with contempt.
Islam cautions us against treating people according to a sect or social class and it regards all Muslims as equal with the best being the most pious in following Islam. It is unfortunate that some of the views I have mentioned are still prevalent here. If a poll were to be taken, we would probably find that a large part of our population try to avoid these jobs and would not want their children to do the same. The solution lies in educating people on the need to do any job — manual or otherwise — and to appreciate and respect the work done by others. Under mounting pressure and the difficulty in finding jobs for everybody, our young people will sooner or later find themselves forced to take any job at all, including those which they shun today.
People must learn to accept this eventuality and live with it. By gradually replacing foreign workers, Saudi youth will discover that work not only produces an income but also provides a secure and dependable source of income. Slowly they may even find themselves unwilling to give up manual work for an office job.
Arab News From the Local Press 23 December 2002
