That non-Saudi section of society which has been living among us for decades and adopted our culture and customs should be legally recognized. This would allow these people to come out of hiding and become an alternative source of manpower to foreign laborers.
We appreciate this group that has helped throughout the years to build our country and still contributes to the Kingdom’s development. This group lives among us responsibly and with respect. I think giving such people citizenship would be an organized way of keeping those who we need.
There are an estimated seven million foreign workers — one third of our population — in the Kingdom. In addition to the demographic and social imbalance that these workers can cause us, many of them, especially domestic workers, create serious problems.
Overstayers also create trouble and bring with them problems that the Kingdom has always been unfamiliar with. Overstayers first came to the Kingdom after the door of recruitment was opened; now we are suffering because of this. Some Saudis have, unfortunately, compounded this problem by dealing in the unethical business of selling visas. They have compromised the Kingdom’s security by recruiting thousands of foreigners just to make a little profit.
According to some estimates, there are nearly four million non-Saudis who have been living in the Kingdom for decades and have adapted to our culture, religion and traditions. This segment is not formally recognized. People in this conundrum cannot work officially and cannot enroll their kids in government schools. Ignorance and poverty is common among them.
Although a similar suggestion has been made before, I propose the same once again. Maybe this suggestion will be heard and an appropriate solution found. I suggest such people should be given some sort of status, which would enable them to come out of hiding and be an alternative source of manpower.
By granting them some type of identification, their young could enroll in schools. Instead of bringing in workers from abroad, these people could work unskilled jobs. By doing this, we can reduce the number of foreigners in our midst and protect our society from people who are strangers to our values and culture.
