‘Dumped CVs’ shock Saudi grads in US

JEDDAH: Saudi graduates from universities in the United States have accused Saudi companies of dumping their curricula vitae (CV) at a job fair held in Washington.
Photographs have been posted on social networking sites allegedly showing the CVs of graduates on the floor at the pavilions of some companies that had participated. Fifteen thousand graduates had attended the fair.
Mohammed A-Arjana, a Saudi graduate from the University of Indiana, said: “Some companies’ officials had welcomed us. However, it appears that they were not interested in checking our qualifications to determine whether we had the skills. Many only asked us how old we were and whether we had any physical disabilities.”
Yusuf Al-Anzi, another graduate, said: “Most officials from Saudi universities were asking only one question: ‘Do you have a Ph.D.?’ There were no jobs available for graduates with bachelor and master’s degrees.”
Mohammed Al-Essa, the Saudi Cultural Attaché in the US, was quoted as saying by a local publication that an investigation is under way to determine what happened. The footage from closed circuit cameras would be studied, he said.
Al-Essa said the government had this year replaced its ceremony for graduates with a job fair. Over 120 private and public sector firms and institutions had participated including the King Salman Youth Center and the Saudi Credit and Savings Bank.