By Hala Al-Qahtani
WE should not open the same box – which is used only once — to find solution for every issue. When life situation changes we should adopt new thoughts and ideas matching with those developments and we should not depend on the same expired box that does not suit the new era.
In its latest report, the General Statistics Authority disclosed that the population of Riyadh has reached eight million — 4.5 million Saudis and 3.4 million expatriates. The figures are really disturbing especially when the number of foreigners was about to overtake Saudis.
No doubt the increase in number of foreigners would create a demographic problem. It will also create a major crisis in the near future if the number of foreigners continues to rise without taking any measures to bring about a balance in population.
If we employ a large number of workers from a specific country they could cause an economic crisis either by controlling prices or influencing economic decisions. Since the time of correcting residential status of foreign workers, the number of expatriates has fallen from 15 million to 11 million.
In the light of experience I have found four kinds of foreign workers, and each one of them shows a specific way of doing things. It is essential to take into consideration the practices of foreign workers carefully in order to enact new laws and counter the challenges posed by foreign workers.
Arab Asian workers who come from highly populated and economically backward countries come under the first category. Some companies exploit them giving them the lowest salary without showing any humanity. People show sympathy with these workers and give them money to take photos with them at a time when giving charity has become a matter to boast off.
These poor people are forced to beg at traffic points and other public places. When poverty reaches its peak and when people lose all hope they engage in criminal activities. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development has not taken any measures to protect these poor workers and improve their condition.
The second group is Arab and Asian workers who come from countries destroyed by political conflicts and wars. These workers are trained by local managers — who reached high positions using wasta or influence – to do any illegal or unfair activity. These workers are deployed to carry out the nastiest missions, including efforts to undermine Saudization.
Arab Asians who have obtained European and American nationalities come under the third category of foreign workers. They have benefited a lot from the Gulf employers’ special attachment toward Western employees. Many of them are lucratively employed by presenting questionable CVs.
These workers are not qualified and do not know how to handle challenges. However, they have been smart enough to cover their mistakes and failures.
Many of them have been appointed as HR managers and their main mission was to level accusations against Saudi workers to get rid of them.
The fourth group: European and American workers who are appointed as consultants without considering their experience or knowledge. They get high salaries and benefits which they do not get in their home countries. These people are ready to work even in the Empty Quarter.
The strange thing is that most of them have served in the Gulf War. They have got masters in cheating as they take ideas from Saudi workers and present them in a glossy paper to managers and reach sensitive and important positions. These foreigners set out company’s strategies and make laws that would ensure their continuity in high positions, taking handsome salaries. These foreigners form mafia groups in major companies and we can see this clearly now more than any time before.
Saudi employees are human beings, having honor and prestige, and they will not accept any humiliation. They are capable of showing their creativity and skills whenever they get a suitable atmosphere. They love their nation and have lots of ambitions about their country. I would like to emphasize that Saudis would not accept exploitation and blackmailing by their employers.
So it is high time that the Saudization law must be changed to get out of that old wooden box and rise up to the expectations of the country’s human resources and win their allegiance and respect.
The United Nations has set out 17 objectives for sustainable development and world leaders have endorsed them. The most important among them is eradication of poverty while eradication of hunger comes second. In this context, the recent move to terminate services of Saudi workers would not serve government’s efforts to eradicate poverty but will increase it.
The Labor and Social Development Ministry’s silence on these developments is really depressing.
