President of Saudi Geological Survey Zuhair Nawab answers questions from the Shoura Council members during an open discussion at the SGS headquarters in Jeddah on Wednesday. — SG photo

Fatima Muhammad

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — Top officials at Saudi Geological Survey have said the organization is facing a brain drain with many employees leaving it to join other government departments or the private sector.



They said at least 62 Saudi employees, 52 of them technical staff, left the organization lately.



The officials made the remarks during an open discussion with Shoura Council members at the SGS headquarters in Jeddah on Wednesday.



The officials attributed the high turnover rate to unfavorable job conditions and a lack of benefits such as medical insurance and housing allowance.



They said the problem remains a big challenge because the employees leave SGS a short time after it provides them high level training.



SGS President Zohair Nawab raised another problem, which is the relocation of the SGS headquarters.



The rented property that houses the SGS headquarters in Jeddah extends over a large area of land on the eastern side of the expressway. The landowner is not willing to renew the lease contract, which expires next year.



"Where will the 800 SGS employees go when the contract expires," said Nawab, who requested the Shoura Council team to raise the issue with the concerned authorities.



"We have discussed this issue with the Ministry of Finance before. We suggested that the ministry acquire this land because of the huge cost of buildings, laboratories and equipment already established there," said Nawab.



In a presentation before the open discussions started, Hani Zahran, head of the National Center for Earthquakes and Volcanoes, explained the worst-case scenario predictions they have carried out on the highly vulnerable western coast of Saudi Arabia.



He pinpointed some areas in Tabuk, Al-Eis and Jazan as the most vulnerable locations.



Zahran said they have drawn up location maps and compiled reports, which have been submitted to the governorates as well as the Civil Defense and the Red Crescent authorities in these regions.



Samir Shouman, director of the Zamzam Studies and Research Center, said in his presentation that they are now working on a project to preserve rainwater. The project will also revive the natural process of saving water that existed before the construction boom started in Makkah, he said.



Shouman explained that they are taking steps to ensure new construction activities in Makkah will not adversely affect the sustainability of the Zamzam well "in terms of its quality and quantity".



Mohammad Al-Jifri, deputy president of the Shoura Council, said their visit to the SGS comes in line with routine visits to government departments to get acquainted with the services they provide and the challenges they face in carrying out the work.



Asked about the Shoura Council's role in resolving the problems raised during the SGS visit, Al-Jifri said the civil service directorate is now conducting a survey that will help government departments facing the brain drain to recruit qualified technical staff.



At the same time he expressed satisfaction over the fact that 92 percent of the SGS staff are Saudis.