This week we celebrated Saudi National Day, and it was with great pride that we saw for the first time the huge green flag proclaiming “Lailaha Illallahu — Muhammadur Rasulullah [there is no god worthy of worship except the Almighty Allah and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His messenger].
Our country has seen phenomenal growth and maturity in the first 14 years of the new century. It’s easy to tick off our accomplishments, and it’s equally easy to ignore our shortcomings. But what country can boast of its achievements without examining how we got where we are today.
Let’s take a look at what is best about our country over the past decade and a half:
l Saudization and Nitaqat, long and difficult, if not failing, journey is beginning to show signs of success as more Saudis are finding jobs in the private sector. Of particular note is the lessening stigma of Saudis working in retail and fast food. Young men and women are finding honor in a day’s work, whether flipping burgers or selling cosmetics.
l Infrastructure has improved in the major cities, as roadways are widened and transition roads are easier to access and made safer. Railways linking Makkah and Jeddah and linking neighborhoods in Riyadh are under way. We are in the infancy of mass transit.
l We are diversifying our economy to wean ourselves off solely oil revenue. Science and technology and information services continue to improve. We have set in motion projects to manufacture vehicles for foreign companies with the intent of building our own cars and trucks.
l We have given young men and women virtually unlimited access to university degrees in foreign countries through the King Abdullah Scholarship Program.
l Once a novelty, the presence of Saudi women in the workplace and accessible to the public is the norm. They are providing vital additional income to their families and contributing to the economy.
l Saudi women have brought international attention to their right to drive automobiles.
l Saudi women have earned the right to vote in 2015.
l Entrepreneurships are sprouting up throughout Saudi Arabia as young men and especially women have found markets for niche products, from clothing lines, restaurants and catering to real estate and manufacturing investments.
l The Ministry of Labor did a commendable job of weeding out undocumented expatriate workers and ensuring that jobs for expats and Saudis are legal and governed under a codified system.
l Denied the ability to provide entertainment that feature Saudi singers, dancers, actors, directors and producers for so long, Saudi youths started acting on their own by producing top-shelf quality productions via YouTube and other social media platforms. There is now a burgeoning music and acting community that is attracting international attention.
l We have crushed violent militancy within our borders.
At the turn of the 21st Century, if any Saudi said that these accomplishments were on the horizon he would have been laughed out of the room. Yet today, these events hardly merit special notice.
But we are also faced with the following roadblocks that impede further growth and acceptance in the international community:
l Saudi women still can’t drive.
l The number of university degree holders returning from overseas far outstrip the number of jobs available in the private sector.
l Many private employers value experience over university degrees, denying graduates the ability to gain experience in the workplace. Many private sector employers also prefer expatriate workers to Saudis, reinforcing the stereotype that Saudis are lazy.
l Our legal system remains mired in tribal rivalries and guesswork among judges as we continue to dispense justice without codified laws.
l The domestic court system continues to favor fathers over mothers, often tearing apart families.
l Runaway girls, often the victims of domestic abuse, are usually jailed instead of protected. The abusers often go unpunished.
l There is no effective system in place to protect the victims of spousal and child abuse and there is no effective means to punish the abusers.
l While the Ministry of Labor has paved the way for Saudi women to find jobs in the workplace, many employers effectively block access to jobs through unnecessary requirements.
l Our education system remains woefully inadequate and far behind the international standard as we cling to memorization as a means of learning and all but abandoning critical thinking.
l We allow a minority of conservatives run our domestic policies through fear.
Most of the roadblocks we face today are solvable. There are dedicated people out there who make it their mission in life to help the disenfranchised and right the wrongs in many of our institutional systems. We are indeed a country that is coming into its own.
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