The issue of Saudization (job localization) is an undisputed strategic goal, supported by various government sectors as well as the private sector, which is a key partner in this effort.

However, disagreement arises regarding the approach used to develop solutions to address this critical issue, as it must be handled professionally to achieve the desired objectives.

I have addressed this important issue based on the report released in the past few days by the Statistics Authority, which indicated that the unemployment rate among Saudis rose to 12.9% according to the results of the labor force survey for the first quarter of 2018, compared to 12.8% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2017.
We do not deny that there have been many successes achieved by the authorities involved in the issue of job localization, foremost among them the Ministry of Labor, which has made commendable efforts to replace foreign workers with national labor or talent. At the same time, there have been numerous failures in the implementation of Saudization plans and programs, as some were rushed and others were not implemented professionally; there was a sense of haste and a failure to study the matter comprehensively. Evidence of this is the rise in unemployment among Saudis, despite the effort and money spent to implement Saudization decisions, particularly by the Ministry of Labor.

Hasty decisions that are made in a rush and implemented just as hastily, driven by excessive enthusiasm, result in several mistakes. These mistakes come at the expense of job Saudization and may therefore take a long time to address.Some may say that the increase in unemployment is very small, but hold on—it means that thousands of Saudis are standing in the unemployment line, and it means that thousands of talented nationals are idle and have not set out to achieve the goals and aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.We must ask ourselves: Why has the Saudization initiative failed? After all the efforts made and funds spent on localization, where is the flaw in this initiative, which has demanded invaluable time and effort from both the public and private sectors? Who is accountable to whom? How will this be addressed now and in the future? And why have some 5,000 establishments exited the labor market?

All these legitimate questions require clear answers; they must not be ignored. We must identify those who have failed and hold them accountable, and those who have succeeded and reward them. This is the correct approach that the entire world around us follows. The world around us is progressing because it operates on the principle of reward and punishment: reward for success and punishment for failure. As for turning a blind eye to failure and raising voices of congratulations and praise merely for achieving a minor success, followed by banquets and celebrations—this is entirely unfit for the mindset of our current era.

In conclusion, we say in all sincerity that the real estate and construction sector is the sector that absorbs the largest number of Saudis, thanks to the national talent it encompasses across its various fields. This has been further bolstered by the real estate projects launched by the Ministry of Housing in partnership with the private sector.