- Title: SAUDI ARABIA-: Saudi citizens take pride in vocational jobs
- Date: 4th September 2014
- Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (SEPTEMBER 3, 2014) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF CAR REPAIR CENTRE CARS BEING DRIVEN AWAY FOR MAINTENANCE VARIOUS OF SAUDI MEN CHECKING CAR VARIOUS OF LAPTOP SCREEN SHOWING MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE VARIOUS OF OWNER OF CAR REPAIR CENTER AND HIS SON WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ABO SAFI, OWNER OF CAR REPAIR CENTRE, SAYING: "The first job I had was to wash spare items for technicians who were older than me, then I gradually learned the profession and finished a course in Germany. When I came back I started up a workshop and now, instead of being a technician who earns 50 riyals (a day), I have three workshops and my sons: Safi, Mahmoud and Saeed all work in their own workshops." ABO SAFI AND HIS SON WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SAFI AL-SHAMRANI, SON OF OWNER OF CAR REPAIR CENTRE, SAYING : "Labour market in our country is wide and open and there are many opportunities with big financial gains, it just needs some hard work with a lot of effort and determination. Anyone can achieve his targets like I did." VARIOUS OF SYRIAN TECHNICIANS FIXING CAR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) YASIN SHEHADA ,SYRIAN TECHNICIAN AT CAR REPAIR CENTER, SAYING: "There was a time when the technician field had not even one Saudi working in it, but recently, thank God, we started to see them, they are highly enthusiastic, need some improvement but their enthusiasm is amazing." CUSTOMER PAYING MONEY TO ABO SAFI EXTERIOR OF THE RITZ CARLTON HOTEL IN RIYADH HOTEL LOBBY JABER AL-ABSI, CHEF ASSISTANT AT THE RITZ CARLTON HOTEL IN RIYADH, CUTTING ROSEMARY HERBS VARIOUS OF AL ABSI COOKING WAITER CARRYING DISH TO HOTEL RESTAURANT (SOUNBITE) (Arabic) JABER AL-ABSI, CHEF ASSISTANT AT THE RITZ CARLTON HOTEL IN RIYADH ,SAYING: "I am a Saudi young man who has always loved cooking, cooking is my hobby. My ambition was to reach a high position in this career, but the society's perception about such jobs makes it difficult. It often perceives such jobs as if they are something to be ashamed of." VARIOUS OF AL ABSI ADDING SPICES AND OIL ON STAKE MEAT (SOUNBITE) (Arabic) JABER AL-ABSI, CHEF ASSISTANT AT THE RITZ CARLTON HOTEL IN RIYADH, SAYING: "I was able to overcome all the obstacles with strong will and determination, I wanted to overcome these difficulties and thank God, I did." VARIOUS OF AL-ABSI COOKING STAKE ON GRILL
- Embargoed: 19th September 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Saudi Arabia
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Topics: Economy,Employment
- Reuters ID: LVA2EWOGCVJ1IB2SHZARQR1X3CXZ
- Story Text: An increasing number of Saudis reject the society's perception of technical jobs to take up vocational work, as the government tries to move hundreds of thousands of people into private sector jobs - its most ambitious economic reform effort for decades.
At the New Al-Araba Car Repair Center in Riyadh, owner Abo Safi works alongside his son Safi al-Shamrani. None of them is worried about getting his hands dirty at the job -- a trend that is gaining ground in a country where such jobs were previously frowned upon.
Alongside a population of about 20 million Saudis, roughly 10 million foreigners, mainly from South Asia, work in sectors such as construction, transport and services, receiving salaries that most Saudis would consider too low.
But now the government is changing its labour laws in an effort to lure Saudis to the private sector.
The Saudi authorities launched labour reforms in 2011 after the Arab Spring uprisings to head off political unrest by reducing unemployment. They also want to lower the cost to the economy of Saudis' dependence on comfortable but expensive state jobs.
The reforms so far have boosted the number of Saudis in the private sector.
Workers such as Safi are among those joining the ranks of Saudis in the vocational sector.
"The first job I had was to wash spare items for technicians who were older than me, then I gradually learned the profession and finished a course in Germany. When I came back I started up a workshop and now, instead of being a technician who earns 50 riyals (a day), I have three workshops and my sons: Safi, Mahmoud and Saeed all work in their own workshops," Safi said.
His son Safi al-Shamrani said his work offered lucrative remuneration.
"Labour market in our country is wide and open and there are many opportunities with big financial gains, it just needs some hard work with a lot of effort and determination. Anyone can achieve his targets like I did," he said.
A Syrian mechanic working at the repair said Saudis taking to the new jobs were full of enthusiasm.
"There was a time when the technician field had not even one Saudi working in it, but recently, thank God, we started to see them, they are highly enthusiastic, need some improvement but their enthusiasm is amazing," said Syrian technician Yasin Shehada.
There are others, however, who said they had to struggle to shrug off negative perceptions about their careers.
"I am a Saudi young man who has always loved cooking, cooking is my hobby. My ambition was to reach a high position in this career, but the society's perception about such jobs makes it difficult. It often perceives such jobs as if they are something to be ashamed of," said Jaber al-Absi, an assistant chef at Ritz Carlton.
"I was able to overcome all the obstacles with strong will and determination, I wanted to overcome these difficulties and thank God, I did."
The government's labour reforms have raised the number of Saudis in the private sector to 15.15 percent by end-2013 from 9.9 percent in 2009, according to the latest data available in Labour ministry's annual report for 2013, published late July. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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