Saudi Gazette Recent reports revealed by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency on the stability of the Kingdom's economy, many businesswomen, academics, and professionals are optimistic that the government will be able to spend a great deal of money on valuable human development projects that will contribute in improving the quality of life, health, and education of Saudi Arabia. “The Saudi economy is strong, relatively debt-free and growing at a healthy rate of 4.1 percent,” said Dr. Muhammad Bin Sulaiman Al-Jasser, Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA). Many humanitarian and development projects will benefit from Kingdom's surplus fiscal balance, which is expected to mount to SR 185.3 billion. Female leaders in business, medicine, and education in the Kingdom have plenty of suggestions on the allocation of developmental projects. Olfat Kabbani, Vice Chairman of the Industrial Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, hopes that a good portion of next year's budget will be applied to employing a larger number of young Saudi men and women. She calls for an increase in the average individual income and a strategic plan to tackle the pressing problem of unemployment. She clearly explains that the budget should be used to create more employment opportunities for university graduates, as studies show that another one million new jobs will be generated in the next five years. The quality of life for each individual can be enhanced by increasing employees' salaries and keeping the cost of home rental and ownership at affordable and moderate prices, in addition to building more residential complexes for low income families. Her vision encompasses transforming the average Saudi from a consumer to a producer. She expects that the budget should support the industrial sector, and has foresighted and warned that corruption is the most important factor interfering with the completion of various developmental projects. Economic analyst, Reem Asaad, anticipates assigning a considerable part of the budget to improve transportation services. According to her, repairing and maintaining roads, improving road safety, and providing better public transportation services all require more funding. “Dealing with road safety especially on freeways must be a top priority since motor accidents are claiming the lives of a disturbingly large number of people each year,” she said. Another sector that should take the grabs for next year's budget is education. “The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency has announced a budget worth billions of riyals. I hope that this wealth can be used to enrich the education system. Future projects should include building a larger number of universities in every region of the Kingdom, equipped with facilities and faculties of high quality. I dream of the day when every high school student will find a university seat available for him or her,” said Fatima Al-Ali, head of the women's department at the Public Pension Agency. Dr. Iman Baroom, Head of the Central Coordination Unit for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer Program, emphasized the importance of dedicating more funds to building a health center specialized in the treatment of cancer patients in Jeddah. She also demands an early detection and screening program for breast cancer in all regions of the Kingdom, under the umbrella of the Ministry of Health. “We are in need of a government cancer hospital in Jeddah, capable of treating cancer victims. Currently, there is a cancer hospital in Makkah; however, the trip is extremely inconvenient and exhausting for cancer patients living in Jeddah,” said Dr. Baroom. Some women are pressing for the implementation of modern technologies for teaching students at the school and university level. “Money should be spent on updating teachers' knowledge and skills and training them in the use of advanced technologies to foster more positive learning environments. I also think that the government should provide better public transportation services for female teachers and university faculty,” said Dr. Iman Ismael, professor at King Abdul Aziz University. __
