Almighty Allah is the One Who grants us sustenance. Some of us have jobs that pay well while others do not. Those with low salaries should work hard and try to improve their skills to land better jobs with better salaries. We must not make things difficult for others or envy them or try to take what is theirs through unjust means and discrimination. I believe that some Saudis are obsessed with Saudization and making life difficult for non-Saudis because they are expatriates. It is as if some members of the public are supplicating to Allah and saying: "Oh Allah bestow no sustenance on non-Saudis and make us better than them because they do not deserve it and they are not Saudis." We should not think and act like that because it could be a bad omen. Almighty Allah says in the Holy Qur'an: "And there is no creature on earth but that upon Allah is its provision, and He knows its place of dwelling and place of storage." (11:6) Regardless of one being a Saudi or not, your sustenance depends on Allah and you will get what Allah bestows on you. Nobody can prevent you from getting the sustenance destined for you. There is enough sustenance in our country for all, both Saudis and non-Saudis. In the civilized world, one is unable to find such policies that are based on arrogance, exclusion and discrimination against the other. I have lived and worked in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia and I am familiar with their labor laws. I have not seen similar policies in any of these countries. When I was issued an employment permit in the United States, I was treated as a US citizen. Nobody asked me what my nationality was. I traveled from the east to the west and from the north to the south and I even drove to Mexico using the ID card of the state I used to live in. I did not even need a passport. In the US, you can participate in everything except voting in the presidential elections, which is a privilege enjoyed by US citizens. Job opportunities are available to US citizens and non-US citizens. Expatriate workers living and working in the Kingdom have traveled thousands of miles to get here and have left their families behind in the search for better job opportunities. We owe them a lot because they are the ones who helped us build, manage, operate and maintain the resources and wealth of our precious country. They have even contributed to the achievements that helped this country compete with other advanced countries. We need to regard expatriates as partners in our development and success, not as leeches and thieves. Perhaps Allah has bestowed this bounty on us because of them. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "The only reason that you are provided sustenance is because of the weak amongst you." To sum up, the labor market has enough opportunities for all. People seeking jobs should work hard to find good opportunities and should not envy others or make it difficult for people who are more qualified than them. Job opportunities are available to the best, those who work hard and those who are lucky. This is not something exclusive to citizens. I hope Saudis will understand this fact and work harder to get better jobs. Expatriates are human beings who are entitled to human rights and we must respect them and treat them in a humane way. We should not deprive them of their dignity or treat them inhumanely just because they are not Saudi. Please ask yourself: how did you become a Saudi? Was it because of you or because of Allah's blessing? I know that what I have said above is contrary to the mainstream opinion in our precious society and many people will not see eye-to-eye with me. However, I hope everyone will read this article carefully, with logic and wisdom and without any ego or discrimination because Saudization is a very sensitive issue. May Allah guide all to the righteous path!
