The Saudi Enigma: Rich but No Job For Many
CROSSROADS ARABIA: It’s a very rich country but faces a serious unemployment problem. Why so and what to do?
News Analysis: Saudi ‘Plan’ to Cull 3 Million Expats
NEWS ANALYSIS: It is interesting to note the report comes after a meeting in Abu Dhabi, which has been one of the most aggressive government entities removing expatriates
Lingerie in Saudi: An End to the Humiliation?
LAYLAH: “Are you sure it’s your size, we also have them in XL…,”the man says. ‘Does my arse look that big in this abaya?’, the woman thinks to herself…
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.
Qatar Ministries to hire Qataris as Taxi Drivers
DAVID ROBERTS: The Qatari Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Art, Culture and Heritage will soon be hiring Qatari nationals as drivers. This really is news for Qatar.
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.
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.
Saudi Handouts Buy Time – But How Much..?
CROSSROADS ARABIA: More than 90,000 government employees in the Kingdom will have their job status converted from ‘temporary’ to ‘permanent’. Good news for them but is it enough?
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.
Incubation City: Missing Piece of the UAE puzzle
DAVID WESTLEY: Over the years Dubai has started a host of cities acting as hubs. What it has failed to do is start something as simple as “Incubation City”.
Is Saudi Encouraging its own Brain Drain?
STEVE ROYSTON: Could it be that the next wave of migration will come from the very class of people that Saudi Arabia sees as its future?
