Saudis need to get post-graduate and specialized business qualifications to compete effectively with expatriates for jobs in the private sector, according to local businesspeople.
Mahmoud Awad, a human resource manager at a construction company, said: “The secret of expatriates’ success in the Kingdom is that they are more qualified than Saudis. The expatriates know what companies need. Expat employees develop themselves by obtaining professional courses in business before coming to work in Saudi Arabia.”
“The best way to ensure you have a good chance to work for a major company is to get a Project Management Professional certificate,” Awad added.
Salem Marwan, a business expert, said: “Over 65 percent of workers at Saudi private companies are professional expatriates with top business qualifications. It is expected that there will be more than 50,000 Saudi graduates seeking jobs in the private sector. The companies will face a big problem because of the Saudization laws. However, there are companies that are not ready to spend more money to train job-seeking Saudis.”
“The Saudi labor market has changed, it currently needs more people with professional certificates in business rather than undergraduate degrees. Expatriates with professional certificates focus on developing their skills in business,” Marwan added.
Mohammad Abdul Al-Salam, a Saudi working as a marketing manager, did a Master of Business Administration (MBA) course at the University of Liverpool. “British universities offer quality education programs in business administration. Many companies want to hire employees who have MBAs from British universities,” he said.
“I have to spend more effort to meet the standards of expatriates. At the same time, there are many companies that are not ready to train new Saudi employees. However, Saudi employees must focus on obtaining professional qualifications to prove themselves in the business area,” added Al-Salam.
Experts say that private companies seek employees with specific business qualifications in project management, accounting, and marketing. These qualifications must be accredited by globally recognized bodies such as the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Saudis need advanced business qualifications to get jobs: Expert
