JEDDAH, 24 September 2003 — Saudi Arabia yesterday announced plans to employ secondary school graduates in the National Guard, the Defense Ministry and the Interior Ministry.
The move initiated by Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, aims to create more jobs for young Saudis and reduce the growing rate of unemployment in the country.
The crown prince took the step after learning about young Saudis who were unable to find either a place in further education or suitable jobs in the private and public sectors.
He ordered a committee chaired by Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, to prepare a study on these young Saudis immediately and find jobs for them.
This was announced by Prince Miteb ibn Abdullah, assistant deputy commander of the National Guard for military affairs. He said the young Saudis would be trained in a military capacity at the three organizations in cooperation with the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training.
“Special courses will be held for these young people to meet military requirements in various parts of the country,” he added. Vocational training centers as well as military schools and institutes will be used for the purpose.
Prince Miteb said the committee would present its report to the crown prince as quickly as possible to execute its proposals.
The unemployment rate in the Kingdom has been estimated at some 10 percent, but unofficial figures put the rate among Saudi men at about 15 percent.
Crown Prince Abdullah had earlier banned foreigners from driving taxis to provide more jobs for Saudis.
He ordered the Interior Ministry to adopt “whatever procedures and penalties are needed to implement the decision,” the Saudi Press Agency reported.
More than 90 percent of the Kingdom’s taxi drivers are foreigners. Unofficial estimates put their number at more than 50,000.
There are about seven million expatriate workers in the Kingdom.
The authorities have made several unsuccessful attempts in recent years to limit the job to Saudi nationals.
Their efforts failed mainly because not enough Saudis were willing to work as drivers and because taxi companies refused to hire Saudis.
Qasim-Madinah Expressway: Crown Prince Abdullah, who arrived in Madinah yesterday on an inspection tour, will inaugurate the Qasim-Madinah Expressway and the Madinah-Rabigh-Thole Expressway today.
Transport Minister Dr. Jabara Al-Seraisry said the expressways, with a total length of 818 kilometers, “will link Jubail port on the Arabian Gulf with Yanbu on the Red Sea.”
