Fatima Muhammad Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Investors in the optical sector have called on the Ministry of Higher Education and Saudi universities to establish specialist departments and start producing Saudi graduates who can work in optical shops that need to meet Saudization quotas set by the Ministry of Labor. Aisha Natto, an investor in this sector, said the lack of qualified Saudis in the sector is an ongoing issue. She added that there have been efforts to solve this issue through the establishment of optometry departments at institutes run by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation. However, these departments have been closed because they were graduating students within two and a half years, meaning they were unqualified and unfit for optometry jobs. The decision to close the departments, however, was made under the condition that specialist colleges would be established, although this has not happened yet. Saudis who obtain certificates in optometry are immediately employed by the government sector, leaving the private sector facing a real challenge to meet Saudization targets, explained Natto. She added that they are looking for Saudis specialized in optometry and are offering them SR8,000 a month, but they cannot find suitable candidates. “We contacted officials of the Hafiz unemployment assistance program to help us find job seekers, as we need specialized individuals who can work in all Saudi regions.” Mohammad Al-Bashawri, head of the optometry committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a recent meeting held at the chamber that they have sent an official letter to the Ministry of Higher Education and some universities to consider establishing optometry departments. There is a pressing need for such graduates to meet job market needs, he said. This move, said Al-Bashawri, is essential to help meet Saudization quotas, especially as investors in the optical sector want to expand their businesses. There are 6,000 opticians in the Kingdom and the only way to help them meet Saudization targets is by providing optometry specializations in universities, he said. Specialists can work not only in these shops but also in public and private hospitals, he claimed. Their committee, said Al-Bashawri, will also be meeting with the Ministry of Health, Jeddah Municipality, Saudi Food and Drug Authority and Health Insurance Council to help find a solution to this problem. Committee members have said there is a need to reconsider the Ministry of Labor's Saudization targets for the sector.
