The Contractors Committee at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Eastern Province, chaired by Salih Al-Sayyed, has urged the Ministry of Labor to compile a database of all Saudi jobseekers which can be used by companies in the Red Zone to improve their status. Al-Sayyed said the private sector is keen to employ and train Saudi youths, but the biggest obstacle it faces is the lack of the necessary information about jobseekers. He said the new Nitaqat program is better than the previous Saudization system but the lack of a proper database is a real hurdle for the business owners who want to employ qualified candidates. In a related development, Hussein Al-Meri, Director of the Labor Office in Asir, urged businessmen in the region to use the four-month grace period given to them to rectify the status of their companies. He said the Nitaqat Program balances support for the growth of the national economy and the youth, demonstrated by the good salaries the program offers them. He said he believes Saudi youths can shoulder their responsibilities if they find an appropriate work environment. __
