ANUMBER of Saudi youth are struggling to make Saudi Arabia the homeland of Saudis under the slogan “Saudi for Saudis.” They have gone to extreme lengths with a website bearing the same name. They are on satellite TV advocating this dream, which is not possible to attain.
The dream slogan calling to make the Kingdom the homeland for its sons and daughters does not mean we should close all doors before the others. It does not also, necessarily, mean that we should dispose of all experts and the sweat of foreign manpower. However, this openness toward the other should not be made a pretext to dump the country with necessary or unnecessary foreign manpower.
Today there are more than 10 million foreigners in the Kingdom. I can safely say the country will not be affected if we deported half of these people overnight.
How can Saudi be for Saudis if we come to know that unemployment among foreigners is double the unemployment among Saudis? How can the country be for its people if we come to know that unemployment among unqualified illegal overstayers is 10 times the unemployment of Saudi citizens? How can unemployed Saudi youth compete against a long line of foreigners?
How can our country become for us when all the decisions to apply Saudization still remain just ink on paper? How can Saudi be for Saudis when Saudi citizens constitute only about 5 percent of the manpower of the top 100 Saudi companies? How can we call these companies national Saudi companies?
How can the homeland be for its people if we come to know that we have half a million unemployed in the strongest economy in the heart of the G20? How can we dream to achieve the slogan if we realize that the Saudis make cubic zero the business of pharmacies, foodstuffs, trans-world companies, foreign aviation companies, private factories and import companies?
How can Saudi ever be for Saudis if the only opening available for Saudis is security guard for the offices and housing compounds of foreigners?
How can the country be for its own people if the only breakthrough achieved by people responsible for employing is to make Saudi women housemaids?
