The Saudi labor market has several highly skilled and experienced expatriates whose expertise cannot be put to good use because of the sponsorship system, which the Riyadh Economic Forum has recommended for abolition. Muhammad (named changed on request) is one such person. He holds a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) degree from State University of California. He arrived in Riyadh on a two-year contract but was fired after some misunderstanding with his boss. “Now I'm in a Catch 22 position. I've got many brilliant job offers with twice the salary package but my boss is threatening to give me an exit-only visa,” he said, clearly upset by the sponsorship system that gives his boss every right to send him out of the country – the boss has the option of letting him to take up employment with another firm in the Kingdom but that's solely his call. Muhammad is glad that the Riyadh Economic Forum has submitted its study to King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, detailing the many obstacles limiting workforce development in the country. Muhammad, 40, said he has a wealth of experience from having worked with some multinational companies in the United States and Britain. he felt sorry for the companies that want him as financial consultant but can't get him because of the labor regulations and must go through the time-consuming process of applying for and getting a visa from the Labor ministry to hire someone else from abroad. The sponsorship system stifles competitiveness and prevents skilled foreign workers from taking up more appropriate jobs that better serve the national economy, he said. “My boss is now bent on deporting me just because of some petty differences, without even considering my talent and my huge experience in financial consultancy that could be of great help to the country,” he said. He also alleged discrimination between foreign workers and Saudis. “My boss is less qualified but draws a higher basic salary. Besides his degree does not match the job he is recruited for. He never discusses any technical matters with me except for pointing out trivial things such as my unkempt desk, my looks or my dressing. He said that the REF study could be an eye opener for the policy-makers. Foreign workers are victimized by the sponsorship system also because of their refusal to compromise on their works standards or ethics. Dr. Afsar M. Sulaiman, is one such person who is in a fix today because, he said, he would not sacrifice his professional ethics just to implement his company's policy. Dr. Sulaiman holds a number of degrees such as Registered Environmental Manager (REM), NREP, Illinois, US; Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP), Pittsburgh; Ph.D. Chemistry (Environmental) Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), India; M. Phil. Chemistry (Environmental) AMU; and M.Sc. (Analytical Chemistry) AMU. He was recruited to work as environmental scientist in Al-Khobar. “I was offered a very good job at a company in Riyadh but despite my several requests, I was not granted a release, as required under the sponsorship system. I lost that job opportunity and sat idle without any employment because I am bound by the sponsorship law,” he said. He has filed a case against his sponsor for unpaid salaries and end-of-service benefits amounting to around SR801,647. There are several other victims of the sponsorship system, some of them forced by circumstance to function as square pegs in round holes. For example Poovathankandi Firoz, 29, who works in Jeddah for some 1,500-2,000 riyals a month, was a much acclaimed portrait artist in India, whose works in oil are on display in the hundreds in several art galleries and stadiums. He had come to Jeddah believing that his talent would be quickly recognized and encouraged. However, he found himself reduced to painting classroom posters and textbook illustrations on the walls of Saudi primary schools – work that takes up most of his time, day or night. “I have no hope that my sponsor will ever give my artistic talent the kind of exposure I expect,” Firoz said.
