DAMMAM: A study is under way to calculate the percentage of Saudization at companies which recruit Saudis with special needs, said Adel Fakieh, Minister of Labor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Human Resources Development Fund. He made the comment while addressing a meeting on Wednesday to brief businessmen on the Maher Program in the Eastern Province. He said the ministry will ensure companies hire people with disabilities, by mandating a maximum and minimum number. Companies which employ above the maximum number will be rated one-to-one. Currently, the employment of one Saudi person with a disability equals four able-bodied Saudis. He said the ministry offers a number of privileges to companies which recruit citizens with special needs. This is applied to companies which do not achieve the set Saudization quota. He warned private companies not to exploit the system to circumvent the Saudization law. He said the ministry wants to help people with disabilities. He said the Maher program has been developed by the Human Resources Development Fund and King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals. He said the fund's strategy and success depends on input from the private sector. Fakieh called on the private sector to come up with ideas on how best to use the fund's capital to serve the labor market, particularly in terms of investments, training and ensuring the employment of citizens. Referring to women unemployment, which is estimated at 29 percent, Fakieh said the ministry is working on a study to find a radical solution to this problem. He said the study may have started late, but this is because the ministry has been prioritizing other programs, including the zones or “Niqat System”. Referring to the fishing industry, he said the ministry has a plan to ensure Saudization in this sector. He accused some businessmen of preferring foreign workers because they can pay them low salaries. He said Saudi youths are entitled to be paid more because of the high cost of living, unlike the case for foreign workers. He said Saudis have been leaving the private sector because salaries are below their expectations and do not address their daily needs. He urged businessmen to understand the nature of the Saudi men. He said the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are the only nations in the world where 90 percent of the workers are foreigners. He added that the Niqat System will see companies with an “excellent” grade, get a package of privileges including the possibility of recruiting workers according to nationality, even though this will be made according to fixed percentages. He said the new system will be introduced immediately after Eid Al-Fitr when the electronic system will be launched at the ministry. He pointed out that the system links the Ministry of Labor to the ministries of interior and foreign affairs and the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). This is also meant to fully computerize the work at the ministries and get rid of paperwork. So far 17,000 male and female trainees have benefited from the program in the Kingdom, including women, who were 42 percent of the total, equal to 7,000 trainees. He said the fund is working to widen its activities to cover the entire Kingdom. Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid, Chairman of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the chamber is sparing no effort in helping the ministry achieve its goal to employ Saudis.
