AL-AHSA – Female expatriate saleswomen of various nationalities have increased in shops selling women's lingerie and other items. The owners of these shops have ignored the ministerial decision that stipulates the Saudization of such jobs. Instead of Saudi women, expatriates are working as saleswomen in lingerie shops. They are mostly of Syrian, Lebanese and Egyptian nationalities. They use the veil to disguise their nationalities. Shopowners complain that Saudi women workers' minimum salary is SR3,000. Some remain absent from work and come up with excuses. That is why they prefer expatriate saleswomen, who agree to work for half the salary and abide by the work conditions more so than the Saudi women. However, this is not true as the Saudi woman has proved that she is capable of working in the various jobs assigned to her. Maryam Muhammad, who works as a cashier in one of the shops, said: “We abide by the work ethics and are capable of shouldering the responsibilities. We are modest. But shopowners prefer expatriate women because they are not that conservative compared to Saudi women. Our customs and traditions impose on us a certain behavior, which the expatriate woman does not abide by. Apart from this, the expatriate woman might accept a low salary due to the high exchange rate of the Saudi riyal in her country.” Expatriate women did not stop simply at working as saleswomen in lingerie shops, but went beyond that to working in women's only coffee shops in malls, which were previously run by Saudi women. The reasons given were similar. Umm Muhammad, an Egyptian national, says she works in a women's coffee shop in one of the malls. She had submitted an application for the job and was accepted. She added that her husband works in the same mall. There is no harm in increasing one's income even if the salary is low, she said. May Al-Suwailim, a shopper in a mall, said the decision to employ women was meant to reduce unemployment. She said that the ministry's decision created opportunities for them to be employed in jobs monopolized by men. “But now we see women of various nationalities working in these shops. Saudi women have not remained in these jobs. Sometimes a customer finds a Saudi salesgirl in such shops, but the next time she visits the shop, she finds a woman of another nationality.” A source in the Labor Office here said employment of non-Saudi women in such shops is a violation of the regulations. “Erring shopowners will have to face penalties. If the matter requires it, we will summon the Passport Department or the police for possible deportation of those working without official sanctions,” he added.
