According to an official in charge of job nationalization, an estimated half a million expatriates in the Kingdom — or perhaps even more — are jobless. This is definitely very frightening. It means there are half a million time bombs ticking away, just waiting to go off.
Hunger may drive expatriates to crime. Not only that, many among them may be carriers of contagious diseases who are unable to seek treatment. This may further worsen the health situation where there is a possibility that the diseases might be transmitted to others.
It is important we move quickly to defuse this bomb but we must also recognize that it will not be easy. The difficulty lies in finding these individuals, even if both government and private efforts were joined.
This problem is not something which has only recently appeared. It is a long-standing, chronic one that has been building up for a long time.
Since we have previously failed to address the problem, will it be possible for us to solve it now when it has taken on even greater proportions?
It will be futile if the same old techniques are used again. What is needed is a radical unconventional solution that may be painful at the beginning. When opting for surgery, successful treatment may sometimes require amputation.
One solution lies in enforcing a one-year total ban on the recruitment of untrained and unskilled workers. In the presence of half a million unemployed, there is surely no need to worry.
Arab News From the Local Press 4 January 2003
