A Ministry of Labor report has revealed that some 4.5 million expatriates in the Kingdom are engaged in low-paid, unskilled work such as “personal employees” and “family drivers” that Saudis refuse to do for social or cultural reasons. According to recruitment consultant Tariq Al-Kahli the outcome of the report, which classified all expatriate workers in the private sector under nationality, gender, educational qualifications and rank in the professional hierarchy, can be attributed to two main reasons. “Expatriates occupy these jobs largely due to the reluctance of Saudis to take them because of social and cultural taboos,” Al-Kahli said. “Another important factor is that employers prefer foreigners as they are not so easily tempted to look for greener pastures.” Observers have often put Saudi unemployment down to the lack of a focused strategy for small and medium-sized businesses which have an 82 percent share of job market.
