JEDDAH: A Shoura Council member has launched an appeal for women to drive because of the difficulty and costs faced by citizens to recruit foreign drivers, according to a local media report on Thursday.
Speaking during a discussion on the Labor Ministry’s draft recruitment pact with Chad, Sultan Al-Sultan said: “Why not create an environment for women to drive instead of waiting to recruit drivers from another country and then discover they cannot drive, not to mention the financial costs involved,” he said.
He said the current situation did not make sense if women are only allowed to drive in a car with a mahram. “Then why do we allow them to go to work and on errands in the company of foreign drivers?“
He also wondered why recruitment was stopped from certain countries whose citizens had worked successfully in the Kingdom. He claimed the national committee for recruitment was determining the nationalities of those recruited, which had created further problems for citizens.
Al-Sultan further argued that it was a mistake to recruit from African countries. “We should not forget that the Saudi community went through some terrifying and frightening experiences at the hands of (people from) one African country,” he said.
Other Shoura members agreed with Al-Sultan on hiring from this African country. Nasser Al-Daoud said: “From my experience the workers from this particular country are involved in terrorist and criminal actions.”
Assaf Abu Thunain, head of the Shoura’s management and human resources committee, said: “Why is the country reconsidering recruitment from this country and allowing them to return to the Kingdom ...”
He said the Ministry of Interior has statistics showing the number of crimes committed by citizens of this country.
Heard at Shoura: Expat driver shortage? Let women drive...
Heard at Shoura: Expat driver shortage? Let women drive...
KSrelief initiates treatment in Jordan for cancer-stricken Gaza girl
- Roza Al-Dreimli was transferred to Jordan through the initiative of KSrelief, amid the Gaza war that has destroyed hospitals
- She is currently under assessment and observation at the King Hussein Cancer Center, ahead of treatment
AMMAN: A cancer-stricken Palestinian girl from Gaza is now undergoing clinical observation prior to treatment at a specialist hospital in Jordan, thanks to the Saudi aid agency KSrelief.
Roza Al-Dreimli was transported to Amman from the Gaza Strip through the initiative of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) as part of Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to providing life-saving aid and medical care to Palestinians suffering from critical health conditions, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported on Friday.
The report said that Roza’s case was prioritized due to the complexity of her condition, as assessments indicated a need for advanced treatment of cancerous cells at the base of the brain. She is now at the King Hussein Cancer Center (KHCC).
"Under the supervision of a medical team specialized in pediatric brain tumors, she is currently undergoing intensive clinical monitoring and precise periodic examinations to assess the tumor’s response to treatment, ensure control of the condition, and prevent any potential neurological or visual complications resulting from the tumor’s location," SPA said.
The family expressed profound gratitude for KSrelief’s swift intervention, noting that the specialized care provided at KHCC has renewed their hope for their daughter’s recovery.
Such specialized care is currently unavailable in the Gaza Strip because of the destruction of hospitals during 26 months of bombardment by the Israeli military.
Israel systematically destroyed homes and commercial buildings and infrastructure in the Palestinian enclave in retaliation to the Oct. 7, 2023, raid by Hamas of Israeli border villages, during which the militant group killed more than 1,200 people and took 254 hostages.
