Opinion

KSA preferred place for migration

March 07, 2018
KSA preferred place for migration

Fahd Areeshi

Al-Watan newspaper

WHEN I read a report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) that Saudi Arabia ranked seventh among countries that immigrants wish to move to, it did not surprise me. During the last three years, I have got an opportunity to acquaint with students of various nationalities in Chinese universities, who are pursuing higher studies in different disciplines such as solar engineering, electronics engineering, train technology, automated control, medicine, physics and literature.

I don’t exaggerate when I say that many of these students asked me when they knew my nationality how to get a job in Saudi Arabia and migrate to the country. A final year PhD student, who is conducting research on digital security engineering, requested me to give him my telephone number and invited me to attend some events in an attempt to strengthen friendship.

He surprised me by sending his curriculum vitae, explaining his expertise, courses attended, certificates received and specialization and requested me to help him find a job at a Saudi university or a company. In the meantime, I met with a Singaporean businessman by chance at a coffee shop. He told me that he had learned that there are many modern universities in Saudi Arabia.

This Singaporean wanted his son, who currently works as a professor in a Scottish university, to get employed in a Saudi university. I told him: “You are from Singapore, the country that has earned its global reputation for its economic progress, elimination of corruption and eradication of unemployment.” He replied: “But you are Saudi Arabia.”

China has recently announced granting of permanent residency to foreigners on the basis of certain terms and conditions. Many foreign students in China have been trying to meet the requirements to stay in China permanently. We, the Saudi students, were not attracted by that announcement as every one of us wanted to return home to serve our nation.

Saudi Arabia, thanks to its wise leadership, has been able to manage its political and economic crises. It was successful in overcoming many dangers that hit the Middle East and the Arab World. It has succeeded in building a strong economy and achieving economic and political stability. The Kingdom has become a prominent member of G20 while upholding its Islamic values and culture.

Saudi Arabia’s dreams embrace the sky while I can see its bright future through the eyes of my children. Its roadmap is designed by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and his strong and brave son, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman.

I am proud and grateful for being the son of this great nation, which has never neglected its people. Rather it has been taking care of its citizens with generosity, providing them with free education, giving scholarships to pursue higher studies in reputable international universities and providing free treatment and expensive surgeries at government’s cost.

My son was admitted to a hospital in China where he received treatment for three weeks. The cultural attaché at the Saudi Embassy in Beijing paid the cost of his treatment that reached more than $50,000. At the same time, I saw many Chinese patients standing at the hospital’s entrance as they could not find anyone to treat them because they did not have money.

On the other hand, being a foreign student living among them in China I find my government standing with me at the time of difficulty. Moreover, officials at the Saudi Cultural Attaché provided me and my family necessary moral and material support to overcome the difficult situation. Dr. Fahd Al-Sharief called me personally to get reassured about my son’s health. He deals with all Saudi students in China in the same way to ensure their security, safety and welfare.

The World Economic Forum's announcement that Saudi Arabia is ranked seventh in the ranking of countries that migrants wish to move to increases our responsibility toward our country. It’s our duty to safeguard all the achievements the Kingdom has made over the past decades. We aspire to make it a better place than it is now.

We have not yet reached the peak of our ambitions. What we are going to achieve in the future would be much more beautiful than what we already have. The gains that we make through the efforts of our hands would be as greater as the achievements of our forefathers. Our aim should be to build a better and greater Saudi Arabia with tremendous progress in all sectors.


March 07, 2018
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