During a visit to Qasim as part of a delegation with the former minister of communication, we stopped at a number of date farms and factories processing dates. The entire work force running both businesses was composed of contract workers who were trained by locals to do the job.
Questions were asked about why we continue to depend on imported labor when our young people of both sexes have great difficulties finding work. Even if we assume that tilling the soil would be too difficult for some, working in the date factories would not be so physically demanding, even for women.
It is the kind of work that could be done in isolated locations and employ large numbers of women, not only from Qasim but from other parts of the Kingdom as well. There are similar industries in Madinah, the Eastern Province, Bisha and other areas where dates and other fruit-based industries could be developed and expanded.
At present working women constitute only 15 percent of those looking for work in order to support themselves and their families. There are many areas in which women can work without mixing with men — for example, airlines, postal and telephone services where work is highly computerized. Of even greater importance than this is encouraging the business community to establish industries that can employ women, including traditional industries that provide jobs and earn the country hard currency.
It is extremely strange that businesswomen are said to have some SR15 billion in cash in local banks; this enormous amount is just lying there without being invested in anything. We need to enlarge our existing industrial areas and open new ones for more industries.
Compare our position to the Jebel Ali Free Zone in the United Arab Emirates. Upon doing so, we find the space allocated to industry is 100 square kilometers while the entire area of Jeddah’s industrial city is less than 12 square kilometers.
