A report from the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) says that the crime rate among unemployed Saudis has risen by 320 percent in a six-year period from 1990 to 1996. The report expects the rate to increase a further 136 percent by the year 2005. Once again, unemployment remains the main reason behind so large a figure.
My own estimate is that unemployment among Saudis of both sexes is something like 30 percent. By adding the large number of unemployed foreign workers in the Kingdom, who may number half a million according to one report, we find ourselves dealing with a colossal figure concerning the number of crimes being committed in the country.
According to one newspaper report, the number of murders dealt with by courts in 1999 was 616. That same year, 38 deaths sentences were carried out. This year — 2003 — the number of executions has been 50. Car theft remains the most common type of crime in the country, with many cases reported in parking lots where large numbers of vehicles are left at a time.
The solution to rising crime rates should not be confined to punitive and deterrent measures. Solving the unemployment problem represents the first step in any such attempt and this calls for a national program to train and qualify Saudi youth. Leading national companies and banks should contribute to this program, especially banks which have annual profits of some SR12 billion.
Practical steps are also needed to accelerate implementation of the anti-poverty strategy, for which SR100 has been allocated. We also have to handle the collection and distribution of zakah — alms — properly. With Saudi wealth estimated at SR900 billion, this would effectively eliminate poverty in the country.
As for the unemployed among expatriates, plans should be made to send them back to their home countries. Any foreign worker who wishes to renew his or her iqama — residence permit — must produce a certificate showing they are employed and have actual rather than fictional jobs. I feel sure that the Saudi security forces, who have proven they are capable of fighting terrorism, will be able to fight crime with the help of the local population.
