I read with great interest the article “Banks have to do better” (March 1) by Rasheed Abou-Alsamh. It is true that banks can play a huge role in the economic uplift of a country. Financial institutions in Saudi Arabia should try to come up with interesting plans offering Saudi youths loans to help them set up small and media businesses. Banks in Saudi Arabia should try to learn from the experience of Dubai where opening a bank account is a cakewalk. Unfortunately, dealing with banks here in the Kingdom is an uphill task. In order to open an account with a bank, sometimes a person has to wait for months whereas in Dubai and many other countries, this service is available online. Saudi banks should try to do away with bureaucratic hassles and make visits to banks a pleasant experience.

As far as bank loans to Saudi youths are concerned, the government should take some measures in this regard. Small and medium enterprises are greatly contributing to the economies of various developed countries. It is the responsibility of banks to pay back to the society in one form or the other. Improvement in customer service will be a great way to thank the country these banks are operating in.

In addition to that the government should also encourage young Saudis to look for business opportunities instead of waiting for the public or the private sector to offer them job opportunities.

Farrukh Rais

Dammam