The Riyadh Governorate has given travel and tourism agencies until the end of February 2004 to replace foreign workers with Saudis. To ensure the success of this effort at Saudization, the governorate has asked the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT) to provide training for Saudi youth so that they will be able to do the jobs in this particular sector. This is a commendable effort by Riyadh Governor Prince Salman. It represents a major step toward seeing all sectors of business in the Kingdom fully implement Saudization.
It is painful when some businessmen engaged in the travel industry ignore their duty toward their country by failing to employ Saudis. They do this on the pretext that the kind of work they do requires high technical qualifications that Saudi youth lack. For years the government has demanded that travel and tourist agencies replace their foreign workers with Saudis, but so far to no avail.
At present the number of foreigners employed by travel agencies is estimated at more than 26,000. Such a large number makes one wonder if all the talk about the highly technical qualifications Saudis are required to have in order to work in these place is true. Are these qualifications so complex and rare that it is impossible to find even a few young Saudis who could be employed by the agencies? The agencies, we must observe, seem to find qualified personnel of every nationality except Saudis.
For Saudization to have its effect in the travel and tourist sector, our travel and tourist agencies must follow the example of Saudi Arabian Airlines, which has been able to achieve 89 percent Saudization. The travel agencies are being told to expedite Saudization since most of their foreign staff actually promotes foreign airlines at the expense of our own national carrier.
I think Saudi Arabian Airlines could play a vital role in Saudizing this sector. Its contribution here could involve organizing for young Saudis short and medium-term programs partly financed by the Manpower Council. The airline could also apply punitive measures against travel agencies who fail to comply with the Saudization timetable by refusing to issue them tickets and other incentives.
I don’t think face an impossible task. On the contrary, I am confident we should be able to provide thousands of jobs for our youth of both sexes by showing some degree of patriotism and putting national interest above all other considerations.
