It is time that young Saudis demonstrate their abilities in maintenance and retail jobs. Sectors that need such manpower are growing rapidly and are hotspots for employment. Take the telecommunications sector, for instance. It is booming by leaps and bounds, mainly attributable to the fact that its consumers are mostly young people who form 60 percent of the Kingdom's population. The same holds good for the retail sector. Retail jobs are attractive to the male as well as the female workforce. While the attrition rate may be high, it is also a field that attracts new entrants quickly. In Saudi Arabia, companies in the retail sector, including foodstuffs, electronic devices and textiles, have shown enthusiasm in hiring Saudis only after regulations on job nationalization were issued. Many of them have been employing Saudis, willingly or unwillingly, meeting with some success, especially in well known hypermarkets. In fact, job nationalization efforts across various sectors, such as telecommunications, are gradually proving to be successful. This is indeed praiseworthy, deserving every social and economic support. This success could encourage new small and medium-sized enterprises, which could find a dependable workforce among nationals. They may benefit from official subsidy, especially if a government authority is set up to support entrepreneurs with finance or financial guarantees. Young Saudis must be prodded on to be entrepreneurs who would hire other fellow citizens. Many, in fact, plan to be entrepreneurs only as a post-retirement option. Nevertheless, young Saudis who take up sales and maintenance jobs are good examples of self-reliance. Such examples should be put before our growing sons, just as our grandfathers used to do before the oil era.
