Through reading many of the media stories written about Saudi Arabia this past week, it might be imagined that all the people in the Eastern Province are hiding under their beds. Of course, that perception is far from the truth. Most companies in Alkhobar stuck to their normal work schedules last week. Even most schools never closed. Everyone is unhappy about the terrorist attacks, but the general response has been to soldier on.
On Wednesday, Khalid A. Al-Abdulkarim, executive director, Al-Abdulkarim Group and a board member of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hosted a luncheon for British Ambassador Sherard Cowper-Coles, Dammam Mayor Ibrahim S. Balghonaim and two dozen senior businessmen. Al-Abdulkarim thought it was essential for the business community to have an opportunity to network with each other, local government officials and the British government’s representatives in the Kingdom, as soon as possible after the recent violent incidents.
“People need to connect with each other,” explained Al-Abdulkarim. “Visits like the British ambassador’s and a few words from him are very important. Every company at this gathering probably has British nationals on their staff or the companies are representing British suppliers or both. This was an opportunity to reinforce the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the UK. We were very appreciative that the ambassador took time from his political duties to give attention to a commercial activity. This shows that there is a desire to deepen the relationship between the two countries.”
Al-Abdulkarim said he was very pleased with the opportunity to speak directly with the ambassador. He was certain that his interest in maintaining strong ties with the British government would be reassuring to the expatriates on his staff.
“We have offices around the Kingdom and around the Gulf,” Al-Abdulkarim said. “What we try to do is work with our employees to improve their comfort level. There is no undue pressure on them to remain in their jobs. If they wanted to go out for a while right now they would not be terminated. We understand that some people might have issues. So far though, we have about 400 expatriates and none have indicated that they would like to leave. We have approximately 30 nationalities working with us. Our business is going on. Recently we were installing high-level, sophisticated equipment and so we have quite a number of experts on the ground here right now. We have a very stable work force. The situation requires people to be cautious and we are taking all due care for employee safety.”
When it was mentioned that some other companies have not been as successful in convincing all their employees to remain in Saudi Arabia, Al-Abdulkarim had an interesting analysis on why some expatriates are leaving the Kingdom.
“Sometimes it is not the expatriates here who are really interested in leaving,” he said. “They are getting a lot of pressure from their families back at home. The phone calls and the issues that they are facing and trying to explain are difficult. They will say, ‘Look, I don’t want to leave but every half an hour I’m getting a phone call from abroad.’ Basically then they decide to go for a short period to calm the fears of their loved ones.”
Al-Abdulkarim pointed out that the current problems in the Kingdom show how essential it is to meet Saudization goals.
“One of the reasons that Saudi Arabia is emphasizing Saudization is so that we have greater control of our destiny,” he said. “In the long-term there is a danger when a high foreign population is the working force. There is no question about this. At the same time Saudi Arabia has been growing so fast, and relying on foreign expatriates is the right decision to continue to grow. Even in a recent interview, the labor minister made it clear that we are not looking to replace the foreigners. Simply replacing foreign expatriates with Saudis is not the right approach. What we are looking for is to use the skills of the foreign expatriates to help create more jobs for Saudis.”
According to Al-Abdulkarim, it is not logical to expect most expatriates holding jobs in the oil and gas industry to flee Saudi Arabia. He thought that everyone should remember that many of these expatriates were used to working under harsh conditions, without the infrastructure and comforts available in Saudi Arabia. Several of these workers had approached him this week to discuss how the violence in Saudi Arabia was still minimal compared to the civil strife and instability in their nations.
“I feel what we have right now is a passing situation and the government is working hard to resolve it,” Al-Abdulkarim said. “We all believe that Saudi Arabia definitely has a very bright future. Like any country we have our own troubles and setbacks that require review and solutions. These terrorist activities go against what Islam is. They go against the nature of human beings. These terrorist acts are just destructive. A lot can be gained by being positive and building things. Being destructive — idiots can do that. It doesn’t take brains. Constructive action is what every country and its people look for.”
“Life is going on here,” he said. “Business is growing. This week a billion riyals worth of contracts were signed to build new power stations in Saudi Arabia. The opportunity is there. The whole world is relying on this area to supply it with a vital energy source. We will continue to grow, not by choice but by need.”