A campaign launched by the Ministry of Labor to register young unemployed Saudi men has ended with 100,000 signing up at registration centers all over the Kingdom.
Looking at the figure, readers will agree that it is a modest number by any standard. If the number is indeed 100,000 as confirmed by reliable sources at the ministry, then we are dealing with a problem that requires no miracles to overcome. The figure is far lower than the total number of foreigners on employment visas arriving every week at our airports. It explodes the myth of rampant unemployment and with a little luck, we should be able to kiss the word goodbye and strike it off our vocabulary.
Some may say that the figure does not reflect the actual number of unemployed Saudi young people since many who have no faith in the campaign stayed away and did not register.
I think any unemployed youth who failed to register does not deserve to have his application for work considered in future. Those who do not take the campaign seriously should not expect to be given jobs on silver platters. It would be better for them if they stayed at home. If I had the authority to make decisions, I would disregard any job application arriving after the time for registration is over.
In our country there are seven million foreign workers earning their livings by working in the private sector. Can’t this sector accommodate a mere 100,000 unemployed Saudis? What is this figure in comparison to the number of foreign workers employed in the private sector? In our country there are 100,000 registered business establishments, each earning a minimum of SR50,000 a month. What prevents them from employing Saudis who are seeking jobs?
The ministry backed its registration campaign with advertisements threatening businesses that do not heed government instructions about Saudization. If the wording of the ads had been left to me I would bluntly tell the private sector that it must stop its foot dragging and stalling regarding Saudization since this behavior amounts to no less than high treason. By any standards, our private sector is a very profitable one. It is time the money it earns is put under the spotlight and the law is allowed to take its course. The private sector continues to enjoy all kinds of incentives and privileges while giving little or nothing in return.
If it does not pay its share in this national burden, it should be forced by law to do so. This is a matter of national security rather than a simple problem of unemployment.
