Saudi Senior Scholar criticizes circumvention on “Saudization”
Abdullah Al-Manea, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, stressed that “circumvention” on “Saudization” is considered a betrayal of the country and the rulers.
He pointed out that such a person who receives a salary without working through “Saudization” companies is considered again that is not allowed.
The term “Saudization” means the replacement of a percentage of Saudi citizens with the place of expatriate workers in the private sector jobs in the Kingdom.
The aforementioned statements came in an interview with Al-Manea on the state-run Saudi channel, where he said: “This behavior (Saudization) from the state is a wise and just behavior and an act that would make the country dispense in the future from the use of foreigners and the like,”
He added: “Saudization now is, in fact, a double-edged sword if it is used for what the state wants. May God rewards the implementer and the respondent with the state all the best, and may God make it easy for him because he responded to the state’s goals, but if he does what many companies and many citizens do as well, this is considered the betrayal of the country.”
The first serious Saudization attempts began around 1975. There is one Saudi employee for every 3 non-Saudi employees in the Saudi labor market.
This is a large percentage, according to Saudi officials, who face a real challenge in employing Saudi workers in various jobs in the country. Many Saudis believe that this measure is enough to reduce the unemployment problem that has recently spread among Saudi youth.
The Manpower Council defined Saudization as “the limitation of work to Saudis, in addition to the gradual replacement of national labor according to several variables and deportation, leading to the finalization of jobs and the full and optimal use of national workers.”
The issue of Saudization of jobs is one of the most important issues that have become a major concern for many citizens, especially young people. It is also considered one of the first concerns of the responsible authorities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The phenomenon of job localization has an international character, meaning that some countries suffer from it as well, such as Germany, France, and the UK. The importance of localizing jobs lies in the fact that failure or delay in finding appropriate solutions promptly, may lead to unimaginable consequences, such as the spread of unemployment and its economic, psychological and social effects on members of society.
