With some 5,000 college graduates returning from studying abroad, the process of Saudization in the workplace will hopefully take a significant leap forward. Given the fact that 44 well-qualified Saudi nurses were recently turned down for jobs at a hospital in Bisha, however, it seems that the professional world needs a bit of re-education of its own. When the Saudis are ready and waiting, it is time to hire them. Saudization is a great idea that has run into numerous obstacles over the years in which the policy has been implemented. The lack of appropriately qualified workers among Saudis has caused a problem for employers willing to do their part in balancing the local workforce. Too often, employers find themselves putting workers on the books who are simply not capable of fulfilling the required duties. It has been discovered that some employers have hired Saudis and then essentially paid them not to come to work. That's putting Saudis on the payroll but while that may satisfy the letter of the law, it's a long way from satisfying its spirit. There has been no explanation for the Assistant Financial and Administrative Director's decision not to hire the Saudi women and he has since been demoted and much of his authority has been removed. It is a particularly infuriating case of Saudis working against Saudis in the quest to build an economy diversified away from petroleum. Qualified Saudi workers hold their own with workers of other nationalities in the workplace as long as their credentials are up to snuff, as was obviously the case in Bisha. To deny them employment goes far beyond simple discrimination. It is a subversion of the very growth of the Saudi economy and the maturation of the people of the Kingdom. A full-fledged investigation into the case should be undertaken and those responsible should be held up as examples of what happens when national policy is subverted. __
