Another bank said it would build a big hospital to treat children suffering from cancer.

Following in the same vein, a communications company announced that it would build housing units to accommodate a number of poor Saudis.

Another company said it would donate dialysis units in various regions for the use of patients suffering from kidney failure.

A private company said it would build homes for the elderly, orphans and the disabled.

Another giant firm said it would execute a mega investment project to employ a large number of unemployed Saudis.

The schools are also beneficiaries amid this bonanza of donations. A number of local establishments said they would build schools in a number of regions and hand them over to the government to use.

All these donations were announced by the private sector in realization of its supposed role to support development and contribute to the welfare of society and its citizens.

These empty promises were made on the occasion of the Kingdom's National Day.

All of this is a mere fiasco. It is the work of imagination and a dream that will never come true. The banks had gained immense wealth from the deposits of citizens who were not paid any interest due to Islamic regulations.

The banks, which proudly keep announcing quarterly and end-of-year profits, have exploited the citizens’ need for loans by imposing on them multiple interest charges.

What have these banks, which built their headquarters and main offices on major streets in big cities, extended to the citizens? What have the communications companies, which are accumulating profits amounting to billions of Saudi riyals, done to serve society?

What have the big private sector companies, which win mega contracts to execute government projects, done for the country and its citizens? What have the establishments monopolizing imports offered the citizens, except high prices?

Yes, I admit that there are some companies that are socially responsible, but they are no more than a handful when we take into consideration the large number of private companies in the Kingdom.

Some companies exploit national events to laugh at citizens and promote their products using paid advertisements, congratulating citizens on whole pages in the newspapers. They milk the citizens by playing the strings of patriotism.