http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=73513&d=21&m=11&y=2005
Monday, 21, November, 2005 (19, Shawwal, 1426)
Ban on Expats Aged 60 Draws Mixed Reaction
Maha Akeel, Arab News
JEDDAH, 21 November 2005 - The Labor Ministry's recent
decision banning renewal of work licenses of expatriate workers who have
crossed 60 years of age has drawn mixed reactions. Most Saudis welcomed the
move, saying it would give a shot in the arm of Saudization. But some others
feared that it could affect business as well as training of Saudis.
According to press reports, the Labor Ministry has also
banned recruitment of foreigners aged over 60 years. "The ministry has
instructed 37 labor offices across the country to implement the decision
immediately," Al-Watan Arabic daily reported yesterday.
Dr. Samir Nassralddin, chairman of the Arab Society for Human
Resource Development, said the decision would help nationalize jobs. "The
decision must have been made after considerable research and taking of feedback
from all concerned," he told Arab News. "Such decisions are usually made after
studying possible consequences."
Dr. Nassralddin commended the role being played by
expatriates in the development of the country.
The decision does not exempt any professionals or specify the
fields covered by the new policy. "It should be done gradually. However, there
are foreign experts and those with advanced knowledge and experience in
professional fields whom we cannot dispense with," he said.
Dr. Mahmoud Khan, a human resource consultant, finds fault
with the decision. "It will adversely affect the labor market," he said.
"Saudis are in a learning stage and as such it is best to learn from those with
experience who are not afraid of losing their positions unlike young
expatriates who might resist teaching their Saudi counterparts," he said.
"The old expats already have the confidence and have built
their future and have the time to train," he explained.
Another point Khan makes is about settlement. "The young
expats will move from one job to another if they have the opportunity, but the
old expats want to settle and they have a lot of value to benefit from," he
said.
Khan said that most of these old expats are retired and have
knowledge to transfer and they are here for a few years unlike the young expats
who plan to be here for 10 and 20 years taking the jobs of young Saudis.
"To succeed in Saudization we should not focus on numbers but
on qualified and productive Saudis with high learning index," he said.
Dr. Khan said that the percentage of age groups of
expatriates in a company depends on the type of job they occupy. "If the job is
managerial and above, most of the expats are 40 and above, but in low-level
jobs that are labor-intensive or require technical skills then the majority are
in the 20-30 age group," said Dr. Khan.
He said the decision is good for labor-intensive jobs that
need someone who is physically fit and it will open more job opportunities to
Saudis entering the job market. But for highly skilled and professional jobs,
he believes that the job market will lose out on valuable experience.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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