Young Saudis are now thinking about their future, and are more focused on getting any kind of job that could provide security for themselves and their families, according to Abdul Hameed Muhammad Al-Saleh, a 27-year-old Saudi who works as assistant sales manager in a five-star hotel. “Decades ago this was not the case, but now I can say that we young Saudis are after any job, not necessarily in the government sector or in the oil industry. It is now the service industry that offers many opportunities and many are eyeing this sector,” Al-Saleh said. He said Saudis who completed high school and wanted to immediately join the labor market can easily get jobs in the service industry by going through training programs provided by private companies and government agencies. “After completing my secondary education, I enrolled in 2000 in a six-month receptionist course at Prince Muhammad Bin Fahd Bin Abdul Aziz Program for Qualifying and Employing Saudi Youth at Dammam Technical College. Then I got the job as receptionist at Le Meridien Hotel in Al-Khobar,” he said. Al-Saleh is proud to say that he is the best example of young Saudis who have succeeded in landing a job. He continued his studies for 11 months even after getting the job. “From a receptionist in April 2001, I became front office supervisor in 2002, sales executive in 2005, and now assistant sales manager. My experience and rise in my job shows that young Saudis can be successful in their chosen career only if they have dedication,” Al-Saleh said. He said he is due for another promotion as sales manager by September 2008. Al-Saleh said there are now about 90 Saudis in his hotel working as receptionists, cooks, kitchen helpers, laundry hands, in housekeeping jobs, technicians, maintenance workers, and other odd jobs many refused before. All went through training programs appropriate to their jobs, including English language. He said young Saudis who go through training program offered by the government and private companies will discover their talents. “In my case I joined the hospitality sector – the hotel industry – because I have that good public relations stuff in me. I like meeting people from all nationalities. Being employed in a hotel like Le Meridien is like being inside a global village.” Al-Saleh said his family is proud of him having joined the service industry. “My parents and brothers and relatives are excited and proud that I am working at Le Meridien, in the service industry, a sector shunned by many in the past,” he said. Private employment and training companies who often visit Le Meridien to find out how Saudis are performing their jobs are often surprised to know that young Saudis are happy and doing well in their respective assignments, according to Al-Saleh. “A group of about 30 young Saudi trainees from International Management Institutes who visited our hotel to know the kind of jobs we are in were surprised to know that Saudis are employed in all services of the hotel. This shows that job choices for young Saudis is no longer confined to traditional oil and government sectors; preferences have widened, more so in the services industry.” Al-Saleh admitted he is ambitious. “I want to see myself someday to be the president or CEO of a big, five-star hotel. This is my dream.” __
