Abdulateef Al-Mulhim is a well-known Saudi commentator who is appreciated – at least here at SUSTG – for his willingness to take on sensitive topics and provide his particular perspective. In this item he addresses the work ethic of young Saudis, a subject of much debate. Not surprisingly, there are numerous facets to the discussion and the weekend provided some useful related articles. “Gap between education and job market needs to be bridged” in the Saudi Gazette comments on the need for training for lower-skilled jobs and with “Scholarship students: Big dreams, slow change,” Laura Bashraheel (Saudi Gazette) interviews a number of King Abdullah Scholarship Program graduates about their challenges finding jobs on their return to Saudi Arabia after their studies.
“Now, life is tough and governments can’t provide jobs to everyone. Young Saudis must take any job to make money, gain experience and at the same time look for better jobs instead of just sitting down and waiting for the right job opening. There are always jobs available for immediate hiring for the Saudi youths. A few months ago, McDonald’s announced job opening for Saudis offering monthly salaries equal to $ 1200 initially including training and health insurance. And remember, there is no income tax. A monthly salary of $ 1200 for this kind of job with no tax is considered high according to international standards. This is just an example of the many opportunities available for the youth. There are hundreds of vacant jobs that can be filled by Saudis. We also remember yesteryear when many Saudis worked at Aramco cafeterias, serving food to the workers and cleaning dishes and they did that with pride.”
