Expats to blame for Saudi unemployment

The huge number of foreign workers in the kingdom was making it difficult for Saudis to find work according to a survey conducted recently.

The World Bank puts the Saudi Arabia's unemployment rate at around 12%.
Saudi Arabia, like all other Gulf Arab states, is heavily reliant on foreign workers to fuel its booming economy.

Around a third of the 27 million people living in Saudi Arabia are expatriates, with the percentage of expatriates that make up the kingdom's workforce even greater.

The high number of foreign workers in the GCC is commonly attributed to the fact that Saudis and other Gulf nationals are often unable or unwilling to do the work of expatriates.

Respondents also blamed unemployment on a lack of vocational education, with over half of those surveyed saying it was a contributing factor.

According to recently released government statistics, around 90% of unemployed Saudi men lack the appropriate education even for minor jobs.

A further 23% of respondents said unemployment was due to excessive "fussiness" among graduates in choosing jobs.

Over 56% of those surveyed said they would consider moving abroad to find employment.

Saudi Arabia, like other Gulf Arab states, has been implementing numerous schemes to both encourage nationals into employment and force companies to hire more nationals.

Saudi Arabia, like other Gulf Arab states, has been implementing numerous schemes designed to encourage nationals into the workplace and force companies to hire more nationals.

However, these efforts have largely been unsuccessful in reducing Gulf states' reliance on expatriates.