Al-Yaum

The Kingdom’s population is 31 million, of which 20 million are Saudis and 11 million are non-Saudis. Expatriate residents make up one-third of the population. This is an indicator that has developmental, economic and social significance.

In the last dialogue session held by the National Dialogue Center in the Eastern Province, I argued that there is a relationship between the increasing number of expatriate residents and high rates of crime and begging, especially among the thousands of expatriates who are unemployed.

Many crimes are committed by non-Saudis against Saudis and non-Saudis alike, something that jeopardizes our national security. Moreover, a number of expatriates are linked to Al-Qaeda and Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS) and recruit young Saudi men to join terrorist groups. There are expatriate residents in all terrorists groups that have been disrupted in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom needs Arab and non-Arab expatriate workers and we need to consider giving residents who have served the country for 25 years special advantages. These people include those who are academics, engineers, doctors, etc. On the other hand, there are expatriate workers who pose a danger to our national security and burden our educational and health budgets. They have a negative impact on the living conditions of Saudis and the development process in general.

As for the expatriate residents who serve our country, we should utilize their expertise and give them a chance to help develop community service programs and contribute to the program’s overall development. We have a large number of expatriate residents who can provide valuable community services.