The Ministry of Labor will soon unveil a plan to train and employ poor Burmese and African expatriates who have been living in disorganized areas in Makkah for decades, said Adel Fakieh, Minister of Labor. Fakieh was quoted as saying in the Arabic media Saturday that the plan falls under the Nitaqat Program, the government's Saudization drive. The employment of every four Burmese will be counted as one Saudi, he added. The details of the program are being finalized by the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Interior. An informed source said there has been a great deal of progress in the government's plan to provide jobs for people living in undeveloped areas in Makkah. The labor ministry is considering asking private companies to provide training for these expatriates after conducting a comprehensive survey of jobs needed locally. The source said the government's plan is based on humanitarian, security and social considerations. Earlier, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah region, said that the jobs plan is part of the Saudi government's overall objective to upgrade the standard of living of all people living in Makkah's poorer areas. He urged businesspeople to help these expatriates lead honorable lives, especially those who sought refuge in Saudi Arabia from religious persecution in their own countries. A Royal Decree in 2006 ordered the formation of a ministerial committee to develop unplanned areas in the Kingdom. The committee consists of officials from the ministries of Interior, Municipal and Rural Affairs, Labor and Finance, and includes the Emir of Makkah region.
