By Jasim Ali, Special to Gulf News
The unemployment levels among Saudi nationals are high, carrying with them socio-political repercussions if left unresolved. Suffice to say that the ongoing Arab Spring got under way because of joblessness in Tunisia. Happily enough, Saudi authorities are exerting huge efforts to overcome the challenge.
Latest official statistics confirm that unemployment that stands at around 10.5 per cent remains a challenge in the kingdom. True, the figure is below the record 11.2 per cent reached in 2007. Yet the number of unemployed Saudis is on the rise, currently put around 500,000, versus 416,000 in 2008.
To be sure, the job challenge remains serious thanks to demographic statistics. As such, the steady population growth rate of around 3 per cent per annum partly explains the rise in the number of unemployed. By one account, around half of Saudi nationals are below 20 years of age. Not surprisingly, many nationals enter the job market looking for suitable — by nature of work and pay — employment opportunities.
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The writer is a Member of Parliament in Bahrain.
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