It is unfortunate to read that Dr. Abdulwahed Al-Humaid, secretary-general of the Manpower Council, said in Al-Eqtisadiah that the concept of unemployment in Saudi Arabia is different from other countries because workers here cannot adapt to certain types of work and because the work they are offered does not suit their ambitions. But that is not a correct definition. No matter how different the market is in different countries, the definition of unemployment is the same. It is that there are no job opportunities for job seekers. Unemployment means that the job seeker is unemployed, no matter how many times he visits the employment office.
Dr. Al-Homaid is right in saying that the employment situation in Saudi Arabia is different from other countries because more than five million jobs in the Kingdom are occupied by foreigners. We can conclude that unemployment is artificial due to social and behavioral causes. Job seekers limit their search to management and other senior positions where the salary is high and the work is easy.
Admittedly, it is possible to employ Saudis if the problem is properly analyzed and strategic steps are taken to Saudize certain sectors. We live in an era where the means of production have changed. The commercial and production sectors are not using traditional means of production or providing services. They now rely on advanced technology instead. If we look around us, the only jobs that can hold thousands of Saudis are in service and sales, which require limited skill and pay a low wage. The nature of these jobs depends on commissions.
I suggest the following:
1. To fix the salary of Saudi workers in the sales sector at SR2,000. The Human Resources Development Fund add an extra SR1,000, so the total is SR3,000.
2. Educate job seekers as to the nature of the job and how it may differ from their expectations.
3. Identify vacancies so they can be filled with Saudis.
4. Issue work cards for jobs seekers so their employment can be monitored.
5. Establish a uniform standard that Saudi job seekers are bound by and to guarantee the companies that their business will not suffer if they replace foreign workers with Saudis.
Arab News From the Local Press 15 April 2003
