One of major responsibilities of a country is to provide jobs for its citizens.  In this sense, the Saudi government implemented the Nitaqat (Saudization) program. 

 

This will decrease, if not fully eliminate, the unemployment of the entire Kingdom’s citizens.  Due to the government sincerity in helping its own people, the Nitaqat proves its existence, which affects the companies that belong to the Red and Yellow Zone. 

 

Since the Red and Yellow companies will end their grace period to hire Saudis on the months of November 2011 and March 2012 respectively, they are in a hurry hiring locals in order to meet the necessary requirements of the Nitaqat.  With this, they will be able to renew their business licenses and the resident visas of their employees.

 

However, just to survive for the Nitaqat, some Red and Yellow companies are hiring unqualified Saudis to fill up the required percentage of Saudization. If they will not do this, their companies will be put into naught.  The other option of the affected companies is dropping the number of expatriates. 

 

Obviously, this leads to the termination of some foreign workers.  The common scenario is, despite expats’ long-experiences and professional qualifications, they must be replaced by the Saudis who are unqualified or less- qualified just for the companies to comply with the Nitaqat. 

 

For this reason, the affected companies suffered a great loss with their profits, for there are some of them who have no other choice but to hire locals, for attendance purposes.

 

This scenario is a simple manifestation that the Saudi government is really supporting its own citizens to be employed in all job industries. Sooner or later, all unemployed Saudis will have a job in order to earn a living.

 

Eventually, the unemployment rate in the whole Kingdom will be decreased if not fully eliminated.  Henceforth, the aim of the Saudization will be fully materialized.  Nitaqat, therefore, is on the go.