Mishari Al-Naeem
Our country is going through a transformational period and facing economic difficulties. It seems that we are going to see sweeping changes in the traditions that govern our society. No doubt, the upcoming changes are going to be hard on everyone because transformation cannot take place without victims. By this, I mean those who have not prepared themselves for change and transformation; people who think that life will continue and be the same without any changes.
If we study how societies have transformed, we will see that for some the process was rough while for others it was smooth. Change is sometimes important. Apparently, the Kingdom has reached a stage where change has become inevitable and a must. Our current social culture can no longer meet the nation’s requirements.
The new changes might have a negative impact on social stability, especially for those members of the public who are not prepared for them. In my humble opinion, we need to prepare everyone for these changes to ensure that the transformation process happens smoothly.
The recently announced state budget reflects our strong economy, but it makes us a little concerned because public revenue has decreased. Moreover, the revenue for the upcoming year is expected to continue to decrease, a fact that will put a lot of pressure on the government and make it reconsider many things that members of the public have always taken for granted and believed would never change. Naturally, the lifestyles of Saudi households will have to undergo change.
In the mid-1990s, a study was conducted on the transformation that Saudi households had witnessed. The results showed that the economy played a pivotal role in social change. In other words, people tend to relinquish their traditions gradually or abruptly because of their economic situation.
The study concluded that members of the public would face more difficult situations in the future due to the greater demand for accommodation. Around 20 years have passed since that study was carried out and the results have proven to be accurate. Because of today’s economic difficulties, standards as well as expectations relating to accommodation have been lowered. It is essential that transformation occurs in a positive way that is in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
We are going through a slow but efficient transformation process that will eventually result in positive changes in social and economic structures and create new traditions and lifestyles.
Another change that will take place in society was expressed in a statement made by the Minister of Labor who called for reducing the percentage of admissions to colleges by 50 percent to encourage students to enroll in technical and vocational colleges and be able to replace jobs held by expatriate workers. The statement is positive but what about the situation of women who continue to see rising unemployment. More and more women are unemployed. It seems that the Shoura Council is going to support the suggestion made by the minister. Are Saudi families ready for this change?
Some families might not send their children to technical and vocational institutes. They may send them abroad to enroll in universities, which means that these families will be burdening themselves with more expenses and decreasing their local purchasing power. This will also undermine the performance of the national economy.
In light of the current negative social practices that have contributed to transforming us into a consumer society, we must realize that our journey will be a rough one. All members of the public must cooperate and collaborate with the government in order to transform our current consumer society into one that is productive, which will help reduce our dependency on others.
