RIYADH, 11 April 2008 — In Riyadh’s Al-Sanaiya area, one can easily observe the absence of Saudi lorry drivers. Instead, many foreign drivers wait for clients who come here to find trucks and movers.
After a diligent search Arab News was able to find a few Saudis working this trade, like Mutib Al-Utaibi, 22, who says he can’t compete with what foreign drivers are willing to charge.
“I have worked for four months and I am behind on the monthly payments for my vehicle. The amount due per month is SR1,400 and I have not been able to pay the dues this month. I can’t stay in this market and compete with these guys.”
The reason why Saudis give this business a miss is the wide gap in the charge per run, offered by a Saudi in comparison to an expatriate.
For example, Al-Utaibi said that he would charge SR600 for a trip between Riyadh and Dammam (about 350km each way) but expatriate drivers are willing do it for SR300. This undercutting is a result of the fierce competition.
“And recently a man came and asked how much I would charge to transfer ceramics to Madinah (over 800km each way). I said I would do it for SR1,000, but then a Sudanese driver undercut me and sealed the deal for only SR600.”
Al-Utaibi decided to rent his vehicle to foreigners, which he found to be more profitable. “We rent our cars to expatriates for SR3,000 or SR4,000 a month. At least this way we are sure of a steady income. It would also enable me to pay my installments on time,” he said.
Muhammad Al-Harbi, 34, a self-employed Saudi lorry driver, called upon authorities to help mitigate the effect of foreign labor in this sector and to regulate the system so that drivers get clients on a first-come-first-serve basis.
“This business, if well organized can provide thousands of jobs to Saudis,” he said. “But it needs to be regulated with a fixed sum kept for the distance covered. It would be up to the authorities to implement this.”
Hisham Karar, a Sudanese truck driver, said that he has been in this business for 15 years and added that it is only recently that Saudis have started to join in the business.
He also said that though competition is fierce, those willing to go the extra mile could make some money.
On the recent drive by Saudis in entering the business, Karar said that “Most of them still prefer to rent their trucks,” he said.
Karar said is that he too rents trucks for between SR2,000 to SR4,000 per month depending on the truck. But if we are lucky to own more than one truck than the profit margins can increase, especially during the busy seasons.
“We transfer furniture, wood, plastic, and vegetables to different Saudi cities and sometimes to neighborhood countries,” he said. “Some seasons demand more work such as the date and watermelon seasons.”
