Opinion

Tasattur and job opportunities

June 07, 2018
Tasattur and job opportunities

Rashid Muhammad Al-Fawzan



Al-Riyadh newspaper

SAUDI economy is the largest in the region in terms of GDP and revenue. The Kingdom has an attractive and competitive economy, thanks to a large labor market. If we look at the size of workforce or the number of people who want to work in the labor market and run a business, we will realize this fact easily.

Why do expatriate workers control the labor market, especially the retail sector? How did this happen and how did they manage to earn a fortune from the sector.

The absence of strict penalties is not the only reason behind this situation. I think the main reason is tasattur where a Saudi citizen permits an expatriate worker to run a business in his or her name in return for a small percentage of the profits. The third reason is the lack of legislation and control.

But the major problem here is the fact that it is the citizen who encourages tasattur practices. Some citizens practice tasattur and complain about the lack of job opportunities for Saudis. Such citizens should realize that they are the main cause of unemployment among Saudis. We must fight tasattur and impose strict penalties on violators to protect our country, its human and natural resources.

Some young men and women today justify their failure to find a job by saying that expatriate workers control the market. I do not blame them for saying that because this is the influence of the media, which tend to blow things out of proportion. Sometimes the media publish news that make the youth believe it is easy for them to find a job without having to shed a drop of sweat. The media reports also make the youth think that their monthly salary should not be less than a certain amount of money.

As a result, young Saudi men and women will put themselves in a tight position because they will set high expectations for a job.

The ministries of labor and education as well as the families and society should encourage the youth to seize all available job opportunities and change their mindsets about the type of job they will accept. We have to promote the successful business models to the youth and expose them to the success stories in the business world.

The majority of young men and women in our country are waiting for the right job opportunity to knock on their doors. This will not happen so easily. The youth must have the passion, genuine interest, enthusiasm and most importantly patience to find work. There are plenty of job opportunities in our market. My message to the Saudi youth: Do not sell your name to others because if you do so, then you would be wasting hundreds of lucrative opportunities for yourselves and your countrymen.


June 07, 2018
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