For every new regulation that is being announced, there is a new committee, all concerned with improving government performance. This is a commendable effort, provided of course that these committees are capable of performing the role required of them. We all look forward to seeing them succeed in their mission. What we need more than any of them is a body tapping the country’s human wealth by investing in the nation’s brainpower.
I feel sad each time I hear about a young Saudi who chose to stay in a Western country after completing college or post-graduate education for fear of becoming the victim of entrenched bureaucracy back home. Each time I ask myself why we don’t invest in these young minds, polish and develop their talents and turn them into creative and active members benefiting both their country and themselves. Young people who find the doors of factories, research centers and businesses wide open before them here will definitely work harder with encouragement and suitable work conditions.
It is true that some of our private businesses have been investing in this area, but because of the limited opportunities many of our talented youth moved abroad. Those who stayed behind ended up in jobs incompatible with their qualifications and aspirations and see their hopes and aspirations withering away.
There are talented and creative youth who can excel in many areas but are unable to produce because of the way the government system operates. It is time the system started functioning in a more resilient and efficient way. Because the right person is being put in the wrong place, talented people end up in positions where they do things that could more efficiently be done by others.
Having a specialized body oversee these activities and providing the suitable atmosphere for individuals to excel in their areas of interest would encourage investment in this brainpower. We can’t continue sending students abroad for post-graduate studies and then stay there as long as humanly possible because there is nothing for them here — no research facilities, no technology, nothing.
