JEDDAH, 31 December 2002 — Dr. Ali Al-Namlah, minister of labor and social affairs, has said that one of the major priorities of the government is to find work for Saudi citizens, Al-Madinah reported yesterday.
In his keynote address at the second annual conference of Employment and Saudization, Dr. Namlah said the private sector in the Kingdom has the potential to employ Saudis. The government used to provide employment in the past to citizens when the country was in its early stages of development. The government also took the responsibility of educating and training the people, he said.
In the conference entitled: “Toward a successful strategy for Saudization of jobs,” the minister urged the private sector to take over from the government the responsibility of employing Saudis.
The conference is organized by the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry in cooperation with the Saudi Administration Society and the Arab Organization for Administration Development.
Al-Namlah also warned the private sector about the possible unhappy consequences of unemployment if it is not tackled before it gets out of control.
