Statistics about unemployment and Saudization are not good. Strategic plans to boost Saudization and put an end to the rising numbers of foreign people working in the Kingdom are no longer effective. There are many profitable sectors that are dominated by foreign manpower.

We no longer need statistics to prove the problem is growing. All that we need to do is visit companies and private establishments, or even roam the streets of a commercial area to see that foreign workers have both senior and nonsenior jobs.

With this information in mind, let us look at some statistics released by the Ministry of Labor in 2009. Statistics reveal that 10 percent of people employed in the private sector are Saudis (which is 681,000 out of the 7 million people working in this sector). The total number of foreign workers in the private sector is around 6.5 million, which is 90 percent. Seventy eight percent of the total foreign workforce (4.8 million workers) does not have university degrees. Why is there a rising number of foreigners working in the Kingdom when unemployment among Saudis is so high? Are unemployed Saudis not educated? Who is benefiting from this situation? Are businessmen who deal with visas still operating?

We need an effective national program that lists the number of jobs available in the work market. We need to train our Saudi youth and graduates for these jobs. The current specialties taught at universities and institutions no longer cater to the demands of the changing job market. We need to increase salaries in the private sector, improve the working environment and protect the rights of workers, both Saudis and non-Saudis.

There is currently no government body that monitors the activities of private establishments. I have to say that the presence of foreign workers is important but it should not reach an alarming level that threatens our development and prevents our Saudi youth from finding good job opportunities.