Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Government employees and university professors on Sunday greeted the restoration of financial allowances and benefits for civil servants and military personnel, feeling optimistic for better economic conditions for the Kingdom. "The royal decrees lifted everyone's spirits and made employees happier in their jobs," says Dr. Ahmad Ashshi, dean of the Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences at Umm Al-Qura University. "Academics and employees now look forward to having their salaries restored. For many university staff, 50% of the benefits were cut." Reversing salary cuts indicate a better economy in the coming days, said Shoura Council member Dr. Abdullah Alharbi. "Saudi citizens stood by their leaders during difficult times. It took less than a year to return the allowances. I consider this temporary cut a testament that our economy is stable and I predict it will gradually rise again, especially the real estate market and stock market," he said. He added, "I advise the youth to not listen to the malicious speech on social media by outsiders that aim to destabilize the country." Others have expressed that restoring families' income will reflect on business and boost consumerism. Dr. Hussein Almehdar, associate professor of immunology at King Abdulaziz University, said, "We are thankful to the King for the decision to restore the benefits and his consideration for government employees. It's good for business now because many people went through a tight budget in this past year and refrained from spending. It will also improve employees' performance who now feel more enthusiastic." Moving the exams next month that were initially due in the first two weeks of Ramadan, caused a major reshuffle in universities and schools. The announcement made Saturday night thrilled students all over the Kingdom who expressed joy on social media and greeted the start of the week with delight. "We were worried that our students wouldn't perform well during Ramadan," said Dr. Almehdar. "This decision was a big relief for families." Professor Samia Amoudi expressed optimism at the return of allowances, indicating an improved economy. "We've witnessed that our leadership has taken decisive decisions during critical times, such as repealing salary benefits, and once conditions improve, they are flexible to reversing them." "I would have preferred students to do their exams during Ramadan to learn that our religious practice doesn't conflict with daily life, but there is always room for change. Universities and schools are currently in a state of urgency to adapt to the new exam dates." Nariman Andijani, pharmacy lecturer at Ibn Sina College, said some students were happy that they would finish college early and others saw that they would have to finish a bigger load in less time. "We will try to put pressure on ourselves in the coming weeks in order to finish the curriculum on time," she said.
