Imagine this: you want to open a shop that sells shoes. You feel that Jeddah is a good place to do this. But, you are lost when it comes to legislation. You simply cannot open this shop. You can just be sponsored and work somewhere. If you do open it, it will be in a local’s name and you will not own it as you normally can. Frustration.
Then one day, it is announced that you are allowed to open this shop. That you must submit your plan to the ministry and wait. In three working days you get a call and are advised to visit the ministry. The employee there asks you how many employees will you need for this shop. You say, 5. He sets the condition that your license will be granted if at least two of them are locals. You agree. Sign the form. Get your commercial registration. Take a copy to jawazat. Get your residence permit. And, you are in business.
Foreign Investor worker is good, foreign employer is better!
Here is my suggestion:
Why not allow anyone to open any legal business in Saudi Arabia on just One single condition. Hire locals.
Of course, the other legal parameters, checks and monitors in place, this scheme will reduce unemployment so fast and so much that the world will be shocked.
Give a yearly renewable iqama and commercial registration. Check periodically and renew both every year based on this criteria and a fee.
Any business, any scale. If you need two people, one should be a local. Even if you are a one man show, you WILL need a government liaison officer.
Train locals, hire them and do your business.. Live your life comfortably.
Honestly, I wish every country of the world has this policy. Of course, the laws of the land, the dos and dont’s remain. Someone breaks the law, they are penalised. So, why not?
The idea is: make it easier for businessmen, entrepreneurs from all over the world to come, train, employ rather than just import labour. Unemployment for locals will only rise otherwise.
The idea is so simple and the solution so good and realistic that I don’t even see the need to elaborate on this any further.
What do you think?
Real Talk Blog : ali shah 