Work visa limits on foreigners 'critical for Nitaqat success'
At the session on "Transforming Employment: The Job Creation Imperative" at the Jeddah Economic Forum Monday, from left, Jorg Schubert, Nada Al-Nashif, Gerhard Bosch, Saad Mariq, Dalia Mogahed and Ibrahim Al-Moaiqel. (An photo by Roger Harrison)
Published: Mar 6, 2012 01:18 Updated: Mar 6, 2012 01:18
JEDDAH: The policy of employing foreign labor under the Nitaqat program should be strictly implemented, a Shoura Council official said yesterday.
"A foreign worker's visa should be limited up to five years and during that period a Saudi should work with him and eventually replace him. This could be a practical solution to the implementation of Nitaqat and realization of Saudization," Saad Mariq, chairman of the Shoura Council's Financial Affairs, said participating in a panel discussion at the ongoing 12th Jeddah Economic Forum.
Upgrading vocational training to meet the requirement of raising the skills and qualification of Saudi workforce was also emphasized at the session on "Transforming Employment: The Job Creation Imperative."
Turki Al-Dakhil, an Al Arabiya presenter, conducted the session.
Mariq stressed that education, qualification and training were among the key factors in making the Saudi workforce capable of replacing their overseas counterparts. "Unfortunately, the scenario showed that only 30 percent importance was being given to education, and the remaining 70 percent was divided between qualification and training," he said, adding that Saudis remained far beyond in the race for jobs because they could not fulfill the requirement of qualification and training.
"We have to train Saudis and bring them to the level of the requirements in the employment market," he said and mentioned that four million of the eight million foreign workers lacked the right qualification and skills for the jobs they did.
Mariq called on the authorities to see that every dollar or riyal invested in the economy should be equally spent on Saudi education. "Merely educating them or producing graduates is not enough. It should go in parallel with capacity building so that the economy continues to create job opportunities."
Ibrahim Al-Moaiqel, director general, Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), said women constituted 75 percent of job seekers in the Kingdom. "While directing attention to the growing unemployment among women, I don't mean to suggest that unemployment among men should be overlooked."
The growing unemployment among Saudis is posing a serious challenge to the employers of both the public and private sectors, he said and mentioned that there is a general preference among women for teaching jobs. "When preparing the data under the Hafiz program, more than two million jobless people sent in their names for registration," he said.
Why always look around for jobs; they should also aspire to be entrepreneurs. "Entrepreneurship is the answer for new graduates," said Dalia Mogahed, executive director and senior analyst, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies. However, she cautioned that the US experience shows that as many as 90 percent startups initiated by new graduates tended to fail. "Successful are those who have five to 10 years of experience, especially managing people at work, and then they launch themselves into entrepreneurship. Such successful entrepreneurs are extraordinary and a rare breed of people." She highlighted the fact that the region has the highest unemployment among women. "What dictates the need for employment among women is economics and not social factors. Also, strangely, as men's employment goes up, women's unemployment rises."
Professor Gerhard Bosch, director of the Institute for work, skills and training (IAQ) at the university of Duisburg-Essen, Germany, speaking on the "Changing employment relationship," said innovation, training and employment were the key factors that guided the creation of 40 million jobs in Germany. "Make high investments in R&D continuously and employ young people by providing them apprenticeships," was his call to the region's employers. North America and Europe have recorded a faster integration of young people through modernization and training, he said and emphasized the need for consistently upgrading vocational training.
Nada Al-Nashif, regional director, ILO Regional office in Beirut, said the region that grew at five percent in 2011 lacked quality jobs although it did not suffer from quantity of jobs. "The Saudi labor market is faced with challenges. There is a complex task of training jobseekers with the requisite skills. We need trade, investment and training to go hand in hand to meet the requirement of labor market. Thus, we need a strong and vibrant private sector to address such issues."
Jorg Schubert, a panelist, referring to the employment markets in the region said Middle East North Africa would need to create 70 million new jobs. Of them, the GCC will have to account for 8 million and Saudi Arabia 5 million in the foreseeable future.
Comments
SAH
Mar 6, 2012 11:22
Report abuseWhy not devise a way where foreign workers are not axed and at the same time these workers are used to help develop citizen work force.
Once you limit a work visa for 5 years do you think quality talent will opt to come to KSA? Only the average and below average who do not find a job in other countries will then opt for KSA. This will affect a lot of things.
Moreover - if a person knows he has to return in 5 years why will he invest in a good house, furnishings, new car? It will affect those businesses in turn too.
Unless the thinkers stop clinging to the notion "Axe expatriates to let local talent grow" how will they think of other possible solutions?
IBRAHM
Mar 6, 2012 11:31
Report abuseALBERT
Mar 6, 2012 11:33
Report abuseREAZ.SHAIKH
Mar 6, 2012 11:35
Report abuseMUA DA EXPAT
Mar 6, 2012 11:40
Report abuseJust my observation and experience.