JEDDAH, 30 June 2005 — The employment office in Jeddah has intensified its campaign against gas stations that refuse to employ Saudis as supervisors. More than 10,000 jobs would be created across the Kingdom if the owners followed the employment requirements.
Many Saudis with middle school and high school certificates were originally happy with the decision to Saudize the industry. When they applied however, they were surprised at the low salaries — SR700 a month maximum — and the tough working conditions. Many thought it unfair that they work for long hours for such a small salary, Al-Madinah reported. Some gas station owners said the Saudization decision does not force them to employ young Saudis.
One owner, Mutlaq Al-Harbi, said it is not fair to say Saudis are not qualified for this kind of work. “There is this fear that many youngsters will escape with the huge amount of money they collect from workers at the end of the day. The real reason is that these youngsters are not going to work for a long time in a tough job; they will look on it as a temporary job.”
Abdullah Balhareth, another gas station owner, said: “We cannot depend on Saudis to work in this job because it needs patience. It needs constant supervision on workers, honesty and a great deal of trust because they will be dealing with large amounts of cash.”
Young Saudis on the other hand dismissed these excuses saying that they worked in more difficult circumstances. They said they had proved themselves as hard workers.
Khaled Abdul Raheem, a young Saudi, said he suffered because he only holds an elementary school certificate. He said he was willing to work in a gas station if a job was available.
The officer incharge of the employment office in Makkah, Abdul Raouf Al-Gaydi, said Saudization decision is final and those that violate it will face punishment.
