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nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

Shoura members want foreign embassies to employ Saudis
By Irfan Mohammed, Arab News | 13 February 2014
Source: http://www.arabnews.com/news/525131

JEDDAH: Some Saudis are demanding that Saudi citizens be recruited at foreign diplomatic missions in the Kingdom. They also want more Saudis employed in Saudi missions abroad.

Several foreign missions in the Kingdom, in particular the European Union member countries, are hiring Arab and Asian expatriates as local employees in administration and other sectors. Some members of the Shoura Council have demanded that Saudi youth be hired in the foreign missions as well. "We recruit the best candidates for positions in the foreign missions regardless of nationality and any other consideration would amount to discrimination,” said Adam Kulach, ambassador of the European Union in Riyadh, in a statement sent to Arab News. The ambassador stressed the fact that unemployment among the Saudi youth is an internal matter of the Kingdom but felt that the “public and private sectors would provide an appropriate and meaningful solution to the issue of Saudi unemployment.”

Abdullah Al-Askar, member of the consultative committee of foreign affairs at the Shoura Council, told Arab News that the “Shoura has recommended to the Foreign Ministry that it should advise foreign diplomatic missions in the Kingdom to recruit Saudi youth and also increase the number of Saudis in the Saudi missions abroad.” He said that although the foreign diplomatic missions post advertisements for vacant positions from time to time, no Saudis turn up due to a lack of proficiency in foreign languages and the low wages.

According to Sadak Fadil, another member of the Shoura Council, diplomatic missions of European countries in the Kingdom ask for a large number of visas to recruit manpower from Bangladesh "when Saudi youth could do the same jobs.” He requested the authorities to stop issuing work visas to foreign embassies if they decide to hire other nationalities. There are a significant number of non-Saudis working in Saudi diplomatic missions abroad, he added.

Saudi Foreign Ministry spokesman Osama Al-Nugali told local media that “foreign missions in the Kingdom are not required to employ Saudis as it’s a matter of the sovereignty of nations and it is also against the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.” He said that imposing a Saudization policy on foreign missions in Saudi territory would give the right to affected countries to impose a similar policy on the Kingdom’s missions abroad. He said that the Saudization percentage is gradually increasing in the Foreign Ministry and no foreigner is working in the ministry’s branch offices in Makkah and the Eastern province. Al-Nugali said: "The number of Saudis in Saudi missions abroad have been increasing; Saudis represent 63 percent of the workforce now compared to 22 percent 15 years ago.” About 90 percent of employees in the Saudi missions in Arab countries are Saudi citizens. However, the number is less in non-Arabic speaking countries due to language and lifestyle factors, Al-Nugali added.

(End of article)

nickelgoat · Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 2:45 pm Post subject:

Yeah, right! About a year ago I took my passport to the American Embassy in Riyadh to have pages added. I had this done once prior, and it can be done three times depending on its condition. Had made an appointment, was on time, all seemed well. Hoped to see an American face. Instead, a Saudi employee took my passport and said it would be done "in an hour".

One hour later I come back. She hands it back to me saying that adding pages was "impossible". Did they have a supply of page additions? Yes. Was my passport in good condition? Yes. Then why not? All she said was "it is impossible".

When I flew to Greece the next month, it was done quickly, efficiently and professionally. No excuses. I think the Saudi woman did not want to do her work. Lazy, lazy, lazy.

If Saudi Arabia wants solely Saudis in their missions worldwide, they need to hire ONLY ones who have lived abroad in the past and have decent English skills or skills in the language of the country they serve in.

The Saudi Embassy in Washington DC is the most inefficient outfit I have ever experienced, and they need to do an overhaul, sending back the lazy-butt employees and replace them with efficient workers who care about the way they are presenting Saudi to the world, not those who take constant tea breaks. Not exaggerating, I called DC several times in one day when I was waiting for a visa and every time I was told it was time for tea break!

SENTINEL33 · Joined: 19 Jan 2014 Posts: 112 Location: Bahrain

nomad soul · Joined: 31 Jan 2010 Posts: 11454 Location: The real world

I agree with SENTINEL33; I doubt the woman you labeled as "lazy" was Saudi. Embassies hire Arabic speakers of other nationalities. Plus, the idea of a Saudi woman working in a mixed-gender environment (especially with Westerners) isn't likely to be reality anytime soon.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

The British Council in Khobar has female Saudi employees who deal with the public. Not very well, I may add.

jaffa · Joined: 25 Oct 2012 Posts: 403

SENTINEL33 · Joined: 19 Jan 2014 Posts: 112 Location: Bahrain

bigdurian · Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 6:21 am Post subject:

[quote="nomad soul"]I agree with SENTINEL33; I doubt the woman you labeled as "lazy" was Saudi. Embassies hire Arabic speakers of other nationalities. Plus, the idea of a Saudi woman working in a mixed-gender environment (especially with Westerners) isn't likely to be reality anytime soon.[/quote]

VFS Global in Riyadh which deals with visa applications to the UK,Australia etc is staffed with many Saudi females. Obviously loads of Saudis getting visas in there but many westerners too. I went to get my wife a visa and they were pretty useless. I mentioned that it might be a good idea to include our marriage certificate and children's birth certificates in the application, she never even thought to ask.

MuscatGary · Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 8:26 am Post subject:

[quote="jaffa LOL. And after that it's time for prayers, then toilet break, then play about on the phone break and then lo and behold eight hours is up and it's home time.[/quote]

Eight hours? You're having a laugh!

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I was an IELTS Examiner in Khobar. Exams are run by the British Council. Administration was in the hands of Saudi females.

The BC pretend to the Saudi authorities that Gender Apartheid is in operation. It is not.

MuscatGary · Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 12:16 pm Post subject:

[quote="scot47The BC pretend to the Saudi authorities that GVender Apartheid is in operation. It is not.[/quote]

It will be when THEY read this......

jaffa · Joined: 25 Oct 2012 Posts: 403

sicklyman · Joined: 02 Feb 2013 Posts: 930

johnslat · Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2014 2:37 pm Post subject:

Dear sicklyman,

". . . .the only situation in Saudi history where it is officially sanctioned for an unveiled Saudi woman to spend 20 minutes alone in a private room with a western male present and nobody officially allowed to enter."

Not quite - I spent about 45 minutes in a room with an unveiled Saudi woman doctor and two unveiled non-Saudi woman nurses at a government hospital in Riyadh. What's more, I was stripped to the waist while the Saudi woman doctor operated on a cyst on my back. During that time, the Saudi woman doctor and I had a very nice conversation.

Pretty salacious, huh? Very Happy

Regards,
John

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

I live in hope of the Mutawaeen raiding the offices of the British Council. It is high time they were taught a lesson !

sicklyman may be unable to differentiate between Saudis and non-Saudis. Believe me it is not so difficult. And you do not have to do a passport check

After some years living there and interacting with them you can also differentiate between 110v Saudis, 220v Saudis and the 380v variety (of whom you will not meet many)