JEDDAH: Some 5,000 young Saudi men and women have launched a campaign calling for the Saudization of jobs in the public and private sectors, especially those jobs that Saudis are able to fill.
“Saudi Arabia is only for Saudis” is the slogan of the campaign. The campaigners want the authorities to enforce Article 3 of the Labor Law that says employment is the right of every Saudi.
“The article also mentions that foreigners should not be recruited except in rare specializations,” said Abdul Rahman Al-Qahtani, the campaign’s supervisor.
The campaigners also stress that Article 26 insists private companies provide Saudis with the necessary training to make them employable. They also called on the authorities to fix a minimum salary of SR3,000 for Saudis.
“Saudi workers should also get annual vacation tickets and health insurance coverage for themselves and their family members,” he added.
Al-Qahtani urged the Labor Ministry to take action against private companies that violate Saudization regulations, including those that employ violators of residency regulations.
“Saudization should cover all jobs, not only menial jobs,” Al-Qahtani said. He proposed the formation of an independent agency to count the number of unemployed Saudi men and women.
Al-Qahtani said the campaign was not aimed at underestimating the contributions of foreign workers. “The aim of this campaign is to enable qualified Saudis get employed in jobs that are currently occupied by foreigners,” he said.
The Ministry of Labor has been told to work out a plan in association with major companies to establish centers to train and employ Saudis. The ministry has also set up a working team to set up a system of regulating the recruitment of foreign workers for the public and private sectors.
Mufrij Al-Haqabani, deputy minister for planning and development, said the excessive recruitment of foreign workers has forced the ministry to review its recruitment policy.
Addressing the directors of labor offices on Saturday, he said the ministry wanted to develop its recruitment system and restrict recruitment to fields that are facing shortages.
“The new move will help reduce the number of foreign workers in the market and create more job opportunities for Saudis,” he added.
