Tabuk Gov. Prince Fahd bin Sultan yesterday urged Saudis to get out and look for jobs, saying there are lots of job opportunities in the region and other parts of the Kingdom.

“You have to accept the jobs required by the job market,” the governor told young Saudi men and women. “We have to develop a culture of work and encourage our youth to look for jobs outside of government departments.”

Prince Fahd said: “Jobs are available all over the place for those who seek them seriously. Achieving a decent job should be the goal of every citizen.”

He said the Tabuk Agricultural Development Company was looking to employ more than 500 workers. “The company is offering a minimum salary of SR 3,000 in addition to housing, transport and medical insurance. The presence of more than seven million expatriate workers shows the Kingdom is replete with goodness. It also indicates there are lots of job opportunities for Saudis all over the country,” he said.

Prince Fahd asked young Saudi men and women to get serious about looking for jobs.

“Seriousness in the job hunt is key. It will help you to find a suitable job and gradually get promotions and pay raises.”

He said: “Work is struggle and sacrifice and parents should instill a culture of work in the minds of their children.”

Prince Fahd also referred to the transfer of large amounts of money by foreign workers out of the country, saying it reflected the strength of the Saudi economy and its future prospects.

He said it is important to Saudize jobs currently held by foreigners, saying it would have greater impact on Saudi society and enhance people’s prosperity.

Prince Fahd plans to meet with university students to share news of a growing market of job opportunities in the country. He praised the King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program, saying it is the largest program in the Kingdom’s history for manpower development.

Meanwhile, the governor said he recently awarded contracts for the construction of new low-cost housing units under the Prince Fahd bin Sultan Social Program.

“These housing units will have water, electricity, sewage systems and other public utility services and benefit poorer people in the region,” he said.