RIYADH: The normal situation when it comes to labor is that Saudis hire foreigners. But in an unusual twist at the fruit market in Riyadh’s southern Aziziyah district, a Saudi laborer works for a Bangladeshi man who operates a fruit stall.
Yahya Awaji, 20, told Arab News that a Saudi owns the stall but that in the two years he has worked hauling boxes of fruit and vegetables the only boss he has known is the Bangladeshi man who rented the stall from the Saudi.
“The Bangladeshi worker asks me to stand at the fruit stall to fool the municipality into believing a Saudi is selling his products. In reality I do not have any choice because he is the one who determines the price and receives the money. I cannot negotiate the price. Basically I am a dummy.”
He said he comes at 4:30 a.m. and then leaves at 8 a.m. He then returns at 12 noon and works until 5 p.m.
“He threatens me that if I am ever late he would throw me in the streets and replace me with someone else,” said Awaji, who said he has a fifth-grade education.
Tired from searching for a job, Awaji was left with no choice but to listen to his cousin who works at the fruit market to come and work for him.
“My father is unemployed in Jazan,” he said. “I have two brothers and four sisters — all younger than 13 years old and all need my support. I send my father every month SR1,500 to support the family. I have no time for myself or for my friends as I work seven days a week.” Awaji said they are not the only ones working in the fruit market as there are many Saudis working for foreigners, pretending to own the stall where they work.
Mahyoob Hazzazi, a 25-year-old Saudi, agrees.
“Many people think that the Saudis are in control of the market but in reality we are the ones receiving the salaries and orders from the non-Saudis,” he said. “This is not a secret. Everyone knows this.”
Arab News went around the fruit market to find out if this was true or not. The presence of foreign workers was high and when asked where were the Saudi workers they simply say either they have gone for prayer, or to drink some tea or to the bathroom and that they would be back soon.
Ali Awaji, a 27-year-old Saudi who has worked at the fruit market for nine years, said Saudization is not applied and he hopes to see municipality officials present at the market to see the problem in reality.
“Saudis rent the fruit stalls for SR36,000 a year from the fruit market administration. They then sublet these stalls to foreigners who employ Saudis for daily allowances of between SR80 and SR100.”
He said if Saudization rules were enforced in earnest at the market thousands of jobless Saudis would be employed.
