The annual recruitment of nearly 1.2 million foreign workers has hampered the Kingdom’s nationalization initiatives, said Saudi economists and experts, while urging the government to review its recruitment policy.
“We recruit about 1.2 million foreign workers annually at a time when we have more than a million Saudi job seekers,” said economist Abdullah Al-Maghlouth. “It is a big challenge for the government to find jobs for more than a million unemployed Saudis,” he added.
Saudis account for only 15 percent of jobs in the private sector, with expats taking the lion’s share of 7.5 million while citizens holding 1.4 million jobs.
The Labor Ministry claims that it has created jobs for 750,000 Saudis during the past three years through the Nitaqat nationalization program.
“A foreigner may be ready to work for 12 hours daily for low salary and Saudis would not be able to compete with them. This is the main reason for private companies hiring expats,” Al-Maghlouth said. He added that Saudi Arabia has been spending billions of riyals every year on manpower development through education and training. “Still, we don’t see results from this investment.”
Essam Khalifa, another economist, called for a qualitative improvement of the Saudi labor market to increase the demand for Saudi workers compared with expats. “Saudis should be ready to take on any job and they should be given proper training to compete with foreigners,” he added.
Pointing to the crux of the problem, Prof. Habibullah Turkistani of King Abdulaziz University said the private sector prefers cheaper foreign labor to inexperienced Saudis, who demand higher salaries. “Saudi workers should be given a minimum salary of SR3,500 because of rising living standards and increasing prices of goods and services.”
He expressed dismay over the private sector’s neglect of national manpower despite various government incentives. “The Human Resource Development Fund has offered to pay 50 percent of Saudis’ salaries for three to four years,” he pointed out.
Recruitment of 1.2m expats ‘defeating Saudization drive’
Recruitment of 1.2m expats ‘defeating Saudization drive’
Saudi language academy launches Arabic Language Month in Mexico
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language has launched the Arabic Language Month program in Mexico, featuring a scientific program implemented as part of the academy’s international initiatives to teach Arabic to non-native speakers, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The initiative also aims to promote the language’s cultural and intellectual standing within international academic institutions.
KSGAAL Secretary-General Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi stated that the Arabic Language Month program in Mexico reflects the academy’s ongoing commitment to introduce Arabic to diverse academic and cultural environments as a language of knowledge and communication.
He noted that the Arabic language plays a key role in enhancing cultural dialogue and building bridges of understanding between nations. Al-Washmi praised the support provided to the academy by Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Bader bin Farhan, and highlighted the fruitful cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Mexico City, which helped facilitate the implementation of the program as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to serve the Arabic language globally.
Al-Washmi explained that the program focuses on teaching Arabic to non-native speakers at international academic institutions through scientific training initiatives based on partnership. These initiatives take into account the diversity of educational contexts and the needs of learners and researchers, thus strengthening the presence of the Arabic language in education and scientific research. This approach aligns with the objectives of the Human Capability Development Program under Saudi Vision 2030.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Saudi Ambassador to Mexico Fahad bin Ali Al-Manawer, along with a number of academic leaders and representatives of educational and cultural institutions. The ceremony also marked the launch of the first training courses and related activities.
The program will run throughout January, and features a series of scientific and educational events, including intensive training courses for teachers and learners, specialized programs for Arabic teachers to non-native speakers, and a seminar addressing the current state of Arabic language education in Mexico and the related challenges. The program also includes the Hamza Academic Test to assess Arabic language proficiency among learners, along with scientific and cultural visits.
The program is implemented in cooperation with several Mexican institutions, most notably Tecnologico de Monterrey, represented by the School of International Relations.
