WP, pg1: Saudis Fight Militancy with Jobs

[DeepModem Mom]

Saudis Fight Militancy With Jobs
Private Posts Formerly Held by Foreigners Are Offered to Locals

By Scott Wilson
Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, August 31, 2004; Page A01

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Aug. 30 -- The government of Saudi Arabia is drawing on a multibillion-dollar oil windfall to place hundreds of thousands of young Saudis in jobs traditionally held by foreigners, betting that greater economic opportunities in the kingdom will counter the rising Islamic militancy challenging the royal family.

Millions of dollars are flowing into job-training, technical schools and cash incentives for Saudi companies to hire local citizens. In a process known as "Saudization," some of the foreigners who have long been the backbone of the kingdom's private-sector labor force are returning home....

***

Across the Middle East, millions of young Arabs are struggling to break into stagnant job markets. Political analysts say this mismatch is starting to generate pressure that could bring governments down if they're unwilling to reform economies hobbled by cronyism, Byzantine regulation and rigid state control.

The problem is particularly acute in this resource-rich country of more than 25 million people, where many have long viewed work as something done by others. The government is struggling to provide economic possibilities for the 60 percent of the population under 18 years old....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47284-2004Aug30.html

[area51]

1. hire locals

Gee, nazi bosses, why don't you try some of that hiring locals here in the states, instead of being traitors to the US?