Jul 21 2011 |
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Saudi Arabia: Foreigners dominate agricultural jobs
JEDDAH: The Nitaqat program revealed that a total of 8,880 Saudis work in the agriculture and fisheries sector, compared to 483,000 foreigners, according to Al-Eqtisadiah daily.In a report on Wednesday, the newspaper said the Saudization of jobs in this sector was only 1.8 percent, while it should not be less than 30 percent under the Nitaqat program.
"Foreign hands make up the largest chunk in agriculture and fisheries, due to little pay and hard work under the scorching sun," Khaled Zaini, a Saudi businessman and investor in the sector, told the newspaper.
Amin Abdul Jawad, deputy chairman of the association of fishermen in Makkah province, said that Saudis constituted hardly 10 percent of the workforce in the fisheries sector.
Abdul Jawad said workers in fish markets all over the Kingdom are foreigners, who also dominate the naval equipment shops and fish restaurants.
"Foreigners virtually dominate about 90 percent of all fishing activities," he added.
Abdul Jawad asked the concerned authorities to end the hegemony of foreigners in the agriculture and fisheries sector, and said the foreigners were responsible for the reduction of fish reserves because of their illegal fishing.
© Arab News 2011
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