There have been columns written in the daily press warning against the threat of guest workers in our society. After reading enough of these generalized warnings against the unskilled and semi-skilled expatriate workforce in this country, I have to ask bluntly: Can we really get by without them and exactly who would step in to replace them?
Let us list some of the activities these workers are engaged in. To begin with, our municipal workers are exclusively comprised of large numbers of expatriate workers industriously engaged in keeping our roads and cities clean, and our trash carted away. As our cities strain from a growing population, there is an increase in the amount of litter and garbage that has to be dealt with, and it is being judiciously done by guest workers.
Our booming construction industry has necessitated the need for large numbers of semi-skilled expatriate workers. Some load cement in mixers, others shovel and dig, and still some prepare the ground for the foundations on which structures will rise. Many are perched precariously high on scaffolds around high rises, daily placing their lives at risk. For them, there is no safety net of comprehensive medical insurance, and working conditions often hover above 40 C with a high humidity factor.
Our streets and roads are constantly being dug up to construct a sewage network. Guess who is primarily involved in the actual digging and setting of the massive pipes for these projects? It certainly isn't any Saudi that I know of.
Trees get pruned and grass in public parks mowed and watered diligently by migrant workers. The waste from our septic tanks is flushed out and carted off by tankers operated primarily by workers from African countries. Water to our homes is being delivered by tankers driven by Asians.
When we have to get around and use taxis or limousines, we are usually carted around by expatriate drivers. And when our personal vehicles need to be serviced or repaired, this is generally done by other expatriates. As we shop for our groceries, it is the Asian who bags our purchases and delivers them to our cars. And around the house, if there is a need for plumbing or electrical work, guess who is available to do the job without much fuss? Want to install curtains or reupholster your furniture? There are plenty of expatriates who will do the work quickly and effectively.
Our factories and other industries employ a large number of migrant workers, often resigned to pitiful living and working conditions and very low wages, but yet the job gets done without complaint. In some cases, their circumstances are an affront to the human rights defined in our religion.
The list can go on and on, but the point I am trying to get across is this: Most of these tasks are being undertaken by expatriate workers because Saudis have shown no inclination to do them. These workers are not taking jobs away from Saudis, but instead are performing a service essential to all of us and in most cases they are doing them well.
And so to the Saudi writers and commentators who are quick to blame all our ills on this group of workers, I ask: Where would we be without them?
Let us not delude ourselves into believing that Saudis today would readily fill these posts and professions. Granted, Saudis are beginning to look at blue-collar jobs in a different light, but there simply isn't a sizable number of Saudis queuing up for such professions held by expatriate workers.
Let us appreciate their contributions for a change. Many leave homes and families behind to eke out a meager existence and save a little every month to send home. Many are subjected to deplorable living conditions, their rights violated in every form and yet they remain faithful to the task uninterrupted and without protest.
They stick to themselves, are rarely intrusive and more often abused. And if there are a few wrongdoers among them who get into criminal activities, are not some Saudis guilty of the same? To wholly target any group or nationality for the misdeeds of a few is unfair.
The hardworking expats are not a threat to society. The real threat lies in the lazy and sluggish attitude exhibited by some of our Saudi workforce whose expectations of salary and benefits far exceed their abilities. It is time they took a good look at themselves before blaming others.
The author can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena
