JEDDAH: Deputy Labor Minister Abdul Wahid Humaid has refuted accusations that Saudization of jobs is a racist program.
“It’s our legitimate right to create employment for our citizens. Countries in the East and West give priority to their citizens in employment,” he said.
Humaid said the Saudization program was essential for creating jobs for the country’s unemployed citizens. He said the Kingdom would continue to depend on foreign workers to do many jobs.
“Recruitment of foreigners to work in the private sector and for Saudi individuals will continue,” he added. At present there are nearly seven million foreign workers in the Kingdom.
The Labor Ministry intends to Saudize more jobs in the hospitality sector. According to sources at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), there are at least 30,000 jobs in the sector in Jeddah alone, and foreigners currently hold 99 percent of these jobs.
Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi spoke yesterday at a restaurant in Jeddah to encourage Saudis to take up more jobs in this vital sector, as part of efforts to reduce the unemployment rate among young Saudi men and women. The minister wore a waiter’s uniform during the event.
“We should be ready to take up any jobs in order to have a brighter future,” Al-Gosaibi told the gathering.
Khaled Fahd Al-Harithy, chairman of the hospitality committee at the chamber, said a study conducted by his committee showed that 97 percent of Saudis refused to work in hotels and restaurants because of their negative ideas about such jobs.
Tarek Abdul Rahman Faqeeh, director general of Tazej restaurants, which has 112 branches inside the Kingdom and 12 foreign countries, disclosed his organization’s plan to train Saudis to take up various jobs in the sector. “More than 215 Saudis currently work in our restaurants,” Faqeeh said, adding that they represented 30 percent of the total number of his employees.
Humaid said his ministry still faced many difficulties in Saudizing certain jobs, especially in the private sector. “Our ministry receives several applications daily from Saudis who want to recruit house servants. In many cases, the number of house servants exceeds the number of family members,” he pointed out.
