Furthermore, according to the spokesman of the organization, the Labor Ministry doesn't recognize Qur'an memorization teaching as a job category that could be stated on a work visa.
The spokesman, Dhaifullah Al-Haqawi, said the loss of 1,240 Qur'an teachers would affect 22,500 students who will be unable to find a seat in the Jeddah's remaining 160 Qur'an memorization rings. “Only 160 teaching rings will be open in Jeddah while 1240 memorization rings in the city will be closed down due to absence of teachers,” he said.
The spokesman called for easing the requirements for Qur'an teachers and said the society will not be able to implement full Saudization in the time that has been allotted to do so.
In the first year of a three-year plan in Makkah province to completely Saudize the profession of Qur'an memorization, 35 percent of Qur'an teachers must be Saudi; in the second year, 70 percent must be Saudi; and in the third year all Qur'an teachers in Makkah province must be Saudi.
But according to Al-Haqawi, the Qur'an Memorization Society will lose the 1,240 teachers and has only been able to find 38 Saudis.
