JEDDAH, 24 April 2004 — Companies in the Kingdom are duping the Saudization committee by using straw men — the names or ID cards of Saudi citizens who do not really work for them.
An investigation by Al-Watan newspaper found many companies employed Saudi straw men.
Some of these institutions are experts on the labor law and how to get around it, the paper added.
The companies make copies of the ID cards of job applicants and show them to the inspectors.
Fahd Abdul Aziz, who works in a private company, said his employer uses Saudi applicants’ ID cards to raise the Saudization quota from 30 percent to 60 percent.
If the inspectors ask where the employee is, the company simply makes up an excuse — he is on vacation or on an outside assignment.
If a business has several branches, each branch will use different IDs to fool the inspectors.
Meanwhile, Saudis who are properly employed in the private sector complain of low wages and the bad treatment they receive from managers.
Some claim harassment to drive them out of their jobs and replace them with foreigners, who are often cheaper, better qualified and more committed to their jobs. Once the Saudi leaves, the company keeps a copy of his ID to show the inspectors.
Some businesses rent Saudis for anywhere between SR1,200 to SR2,000. For his money, the Saudi only has to be in the office when the inspectors visit and confirm that he works there.
“Some companies only ask their Saudi staff to come in at certain times when the inspectors come round, and they pay up to SR1,500 a month for the service,” Saeed Al-Ghamdi told the paper. “And of course there are a lot of takers — it’s money for nothing.”
Some companies place ads in newspapers for fictitious jobs to show the Saudization committee that they are looking for Saudis.
“When you try to talk to someone about the job offer, no one answers because the number in the ad is for a fax,” Al-Ghamdi added.
