Expats “A Drain” on Saudi: The Debate Continues
CROSSROADS ARABIA: It’s a debate without ending but it seems to have taken a sharply antagonistic turn in an opinion piece in ‘Al Riyadh’.
Fire Puts Spotlight on Saudi ‘Passport Holding’
SUSIE OF ARABIA: The destruction of more than 17,000 passports belonging to expatriate workers in Jeddah has led to a debate about the practice of employers ‘holding’ passports.
UK-UAE CEO Forum Should Focus on Vibrant SMEs As Much As Big Business
PAUL MALONEY: While both nations have trumpeted the importance of a vibrant SME sector, too often it is often the little guy who overlooked.
New Convention ‘A Major Boost’ for UAE Workers
MATT J. DUFFY: The mistreatment of domestic staff in the UAE has long been a major concern inside and outside the country. Thankfully the issue appears to be rising up the political agenda.
Biometrics No Magic Wand’ For Saudi Employment
STEVE ROYSTON: Underemployment, the use of ‘wasta’ and an autocratic management style are some of the endemic problems not solved by fingers on electronic readers.
The Saudi Work Ethic: Biometric Clock Watching
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Managers in both private and government offices are starting to implement biometric ‘time cards’. Employees have to log in and out via their fingerprints.
Reasons For, and Against, Working in the MidEast
STEVE ROYSTON: One year ago I wrote the 10 good reasons to work in the Middle East. I would not change one of them. I have, however, added 10 reasons you may not want to.
Internships, Influence, And What Matters
STEVE ROYSTON: It’s fine to enjoy the discomfiture of a prominent politician. But let’s not get into a froth about issues well down the strategic scale, and concentrate on what matters: education.
Failed Saudization Policy: The Finger Pointing Begins
CROSSROADS ARABIA: Saudization is simply not working so someone’s got to be doing something wrong. There seems no end of potential culprits.
Saying No to An ‘Open Sesame’ Welfare Agenda
MISHAAL AL GERGAWI: That the GCC is able to cooperate and function so well is both comforting and alarming. Comforting because it confirms the council still functions, alarming because it only does so in self-preservation mode.
The Investment Industry: Don’t Forget the Humans
STEVE ROYSTON: Too often, financiers ignore the blindingly obvious questions. Who is this person or team in whom I am going to invest?
Labour: The GCC’s Most Dangerous Addiction
STEVE ROYSTON: Low-paid migrant workers keep their host countries running by doing the jobs that the locals refuse to do. Their presence is resented by many.
Rebuilding Business Confidence the Next Battleground
ANDREW MACKAY: Countries across the Middle East and Africa need to examine the damage done to their reputations, and rebuild vital revenue streams from inward investment and tourism.
Dubai the Winner in a ‘Game’ of Regional Turmoil
JAMES MULLAN: The city of Dubai remains an island of opportunity for many in the Arab world, and troubles elsewhere only strengthen perceived virtues.
Bader Young Entrepreneurs: Good Initiative, But Why the ‘Young’?
MICH CAFE: Despite initial skepticism, Mich Cafe finds much to like in a program that promotes entrepreneurship through education, finance and networking.
The Crisis in the Arab World – The Long View
STEVE ROYSTON: A focus on regeneration will have a longer-lasting effect than quick political fixes that will do nothing to alleviate the lot of the frustrated…
2022 World Cup Driving Qatari Labour Clean Up
JAMES DORSEY: The workers are a necessarily evil, but over time they are almost certain to change the nature of society – a notion that sends chills down Qatari spines.
Saudi Arabia – Why Western Consultants Fail
STEVE ROYSTON: If they are to be lasting, appropriate and sustainable, the solutions themselves must come from within, not from the West.
A New Saudi Arabia: Thoughts For a Better Future
STEVE ROYSTON: King Abdullah, upon his return to Saudi Arabia after successful surgery in the United States, broadcasts to the nation. This is what he could say…
Daunting: The Many Challenges Facing Arab Youth
AHMED AL OMRAN: Identity, lack of economic opportunity, freedom of expression – these are just some of the issues facing young people throughout the Arab World.
