Saudis need extra training 'to replace expats'

June 2, 2013

Saudis__expats

Jeddah, Jun 2: The Labor Ministry has made it mandatory for any organization, whether schools, companies or offices, to reserve vacancies in 19 job categories for only Saudis.

These are: Executive HR manager, HR manager, labor affairs manager, staff relations manager, staff relations specialist, staff relations clerk, recruitment clerk, staff affairs clerk, attendance control clerk, receptionist (general), hotel receptionist, health receptionist, claims clerk, treasury secretary, security, broker, key specialist, customs broker and female sales specialists (women only).

Arab News spoke with CEOs, authorities of schools and companies who confirmed that the 19 positions classified above are related to human resources, customer services, health management, accounts, clearing and forwarding agents and, of course, women-sensitive sales areas.

Mohamed H. Zakaria, CEO and general manager of Saudi Steel Profile Company, said that the 19 job categories that are related to the HR department and reserved for Saudi nationals can easily be short-listed or filtered down to three positions. Only companies like Saudi Aramco, Sabic, SEC, or the STC can employ all categories.

“I think the best way to implement Saudization is not through passing legislation but through the sincere and active participation of the private sector and expatriates. The Labor Ministry should seek the help of expatriates to train Saudis to replace them,” he said.

He also said with a per capita income of more than $ 31,000, Saudi Arabia is ahead of many European countries and with 262 billion barrel of oil reserves (excluding natural gas, metals and minerals), each Saudi owns more than a million dollar’s worth of oil.

Forcing Saudis into the private sector will be a temporary way out. Secondly, hiring extra Saudis and putting them on the payroll will throw many private companies out of business, as it will take at least three to five years to train and replace the expatriate work force, especially at the lower and mid levels.

“In fact, most Saudis approaching us for a job don’t even know what job they are seeking and a lot of job-seekers, including Saudis and non-Saudis with even five years of work experience don’t realize that they fall in the entry-level category,” he explained.

Padma Hariharan, director and head of Novel International Group of Institutions, said that these positions are sensitive and organizations, including the government sector, should ensure that the employees they are hiring are sensitive to the needs of the organization, as all positions are ultimately for Saudis only.

She said the area of concern is improvement of communication in English. As the Kingdom has opened its doors to global investment and is encouraging tourism in a big way, it is mandatory for the Saudis employed to effectively communicate in English.

“Training and qualifications are absolutely mandatory to secure the job. The Ministry of Education (MoE) clearly states that we need to appoint Saudi teachers to teach Islamic education, Qur’an, Saudi history and geography and Arabic. Moreover, the Saudi faculty needs graduates in its field. In order to enhance the quality of the work force and the work environment, I would strongly recommend that the government set up a skilled work force center or hub for training professionals in their respective areas,” she added.

Yosef Al Zanbagi, HR manager of MICE Arabia Group for Exhibitions and Conferences, said the royal order has made it mandatory for Saudis to be hired for management positions. Besides, the posts at the lower end of the scale do not require high qualifications. This is why Saudis prefer these posts, thereby easing the problem of unemployment among the citizens.

“Yes, of course training is important. Basically Saudi employees need an educational qualification that matches the position. They then need three months of on-the-job training. In addition to IT knowledge, English, and HR and Management training sessions, the companies usually change the job title or hire expatriates in positions lower than the management level but they perform the same tasks. And some companies do not need these positions. However, after the last royal order there will be no room to circumvent these issues,” he added.

Dr. Hasan Zaman, CEO of Midrar enterprises, said Saudi employers have become more accepting of the fact that hiring foreign labor is not a long term solution.

“Many organizations have started taking steps to send their employees for training and have not used monetary incentives to encourage them. These steps will ensure that a skilled workforce is employed in their organizations,” he said.

The 2013 labor policy has eradicated doubts about the new laws to be implemented. With the exception of posts exclusively marked for Saudis, all other positions for physicians, engineers, nurses, educators, designers, administrators, and even the greater spectrum of technicians, are free to be occupied by non-Saudis.

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News Network
April 18,2020

Dubai, Apr 18: Saudi Arabia has reported 1,132 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of confirmed COVID-19 patients to 8,274, the Ministry of Health revealed on Saturday.

The ministry has also announced five more deaths from the virus, taking to 92 the Kingdom’s death toll.

Recoveries
As for recoveries, 280 new recoveries were reported, pushing the total number of patients recovered to 1,329.

The ministry revealed that 79 per cent of today’s cases are expatriates and that 65 per cent of the cases were detected through intensified and active COVID-19 screening in densely-populated areas.

A total of 201 patients of Saturday’s cases have contracted the disease due to being in contact with existing cases, the ministry added.

The new infected cases have been placed under complete isolation and they are receiving necessary medical care, an official from the ministry said.

He affirmed that medical teams are intensifying efforts and screening tests in workers' neighbourhoods and accommodations in order to limit the spread of the disease.

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News Network
April 30,2020

Riyadh, Apr 30: Saudi Arabia on Thursday recorded 1,351 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 22,753, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.

The ministry also announced 5 more deaths and 210 new recoveries, raising the total number of fatalities and recoveries to 162 and 3,163 respectively.

Riyadh with 440 cases topped the list, followed by 392 cases in Makkah, 120 in Jeddah and 119 in Madinah.

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News Network
April 26,2020

Dubai, Apr 26: Saudi Arabia reported 1223 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 17522, the Ministry of Health announced on Sunday (April 26).

Meanwhile, the ministry reported 142 recoveries today, with total recoveries in the kingdom at 2357. There are 115 cases in intensive care.

The ministry also confirmed 3 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths in the kingdom to 139.

Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz has ordered the partial lifting of a curfew imposed due to the new coronavirus across the country while keeping a 24-hour lockdown in the holy city of Mecca, the Saudi news agency SPA reported Sunday. The partial lifting of the restriction started Sunday from 9am until 5pm and will continue until May 14, the agency added.

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