This is in reference to the report “Expat remittances likely to plummet after labor cleanup” (Arab News, June 16) wherein Fadhel Albuainain, economist and banking expert, is quoted as saying: “There is no doubt that the nearly SR 110 billion sent out of the country so far is a big loss for the Kingdom’s economy.”
This is what I call a ‘one-eyed’ view. As an ‘economist and banking expert,’ Albuainain must have seen millions, and more, currency notes and loose coins of every denomination. I doubt if he ever noticed that they all have two sides.
What he has stated begs a lot of questions. First, what does he mean by ‘so far.’ Does he mean from the time when the country was united or from the time when the first expatriate set foot on this soil?
If the expats have sent that much amount of money, their sweat, blood, talent and travails have certainly helped Saudi businessmen, traders, establishments and companies to earn many-fold that sum. Who worked under the scorching sun to build roads, bridges, tunnels, highways, houses, tall towers, all the infrastructure that has contributed to Saudi Arabia achieving the progress and development that we see today? Leaving their loved ones behind, at times they have worked with low wages, faced hardships — material, physical and mental, and even suffered injuries and death.
If wishes were horses expatriates would not need to eat, drink, or have shelter. That, I am sure, would make Albuainain happy, because then no money, or at least much less, would go out.
Expatriates are not building tall towers or mansions back home. The money that they send home is for the necessities that we all need and work for.
If they are allowed to bring over their families, they would not have to send money home, or at least not that much. With the contentment, joy and happiness of the nearness of their wives and children, they will be in a better state of mind, which would reflect in their work. It would contribute positively to the Saudi economy. Expatriates are a force, a power, a strength, which if used (treated) with respect and gratefulness, can move mountains. Give them a place to stand and they will lift the world. One has only to open his mind’s eye to see how they have ‘lifted’ the Americas, Australia, and countries in Europe.
I would like to address the expatriates and urge them to work in the spirit of Islamic internationalism that says, and I paraphrase, being true to the country where one lives, works and earns, is part of faith. — Habib Shaikh, Jeddah
