Local Viewpoint Abid Khazindar Al-Riyadh Newspaper There is a group of people who will not leave the dozens of Saudi women who were recently employed as waitresses in Riyadh alone. This group will dramatize their situation and endlessly criticize them for doing nothing more than trying to earn an honest living. It all started when a leading restaurant management company appointed women as waitresses throughout its chain of restaurants. The company had previously secured more than 150 jobs for Saudi women in its customer service department and later replaced its entire customer service staff in Jeddah with more than 80 Saudi women. It still has vacancies and is accepting applications for positions in both Riyadh and Jeddah. The recently-employed Saudi waitresses need to make a living and after many doors closed for them, they accepted the bitter reality and accepted whatever job opportunities came their way. Although most of these women hold higher education certificates and are qualified for jobs that pay better and safeguard their dignity, these jobs are occupied by expatriates who are highly paid, work long hours and are not distracted by house chores or family obligations. Despite their circumstances, a certain group of people will treat them the same way they treated women cashiers and lingerie saleswomen by subjecting them to countless insults and threats and if that won't get them to quit their jobs, then their employers will be attacked. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Labor, which is responsible for all aspects of women's employment, is helpless before the other entities that reject the idea of women leaving their homes to work. May God grant success to these women and their employer.
