A number of economic experts have criticized the government's Nitaqat system, with some saying it does not lend itself to the quality employment of Saudis and that it could also have an impact on company profits. Others said that the unemployment problem is directly linked to the abolishment of the sponsorship system and that there should be a return to the “unified contract” system. Another expert argued that the Nitaqat system is at odds with the government's National Policy for Employment launched 25 years ago, according to a report in Al-Hayat Arabic daily. Abdullah Al-Hamoud, an expert in human resources, said the Saudi unemployment problem can be solved with the scrapping of the sponsorship system. There should also be a streamlining of the unified contract system to deny entry to those who do not have a contract with a party in the Kingdom. Al-Hamoud said it was not true that there were no incentives for Saudi employers. He said in certain cases the Human Resources Fund pays half the salary of a Saudi employee for a period of two years while Saudi employers cover the rest, “which is less than the salary of a foreign worker”. Dr. Muhammad Al-Jadeed, another expert, believes that the Nitaqat Program focuses on quantity rather than quality employment, which has proven to be a failure in the past. He said nothing prevents the Ministry of Labor from enforcing quality Saudization, which will benefit the Saudi economy and the private sector. Al-Jadeed argued that the Nitaqat System conflicts with the National Policy for Employment launched by the government 25 years ago and said questions should be asked about which direction the country is heading. Dr. Abdul Rahman Haigan, a member of the Shoura Council and Head of Management and the Human Resources Committee at the council, said the private sector is not responsible for Saudization. He said that 80 percent of small and medium scale establishments cannot afford the salaries of Saudi employees. It should be taken into account that Saudi employees are not willing to work for small establishments. Most Saudi job seekers see these establishments as stepping stones, he added. He said Saudis should be held responsible for unemployment in the country. Many Saudis believe that there is work for them in all organizations. However, Haigan believes that the government should be given time to tackle unemployment and urged business owners to cooperate with the ministry so that it can achieve its objectives.
