Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Arab world can meet their manpower shortage by recruiting from member countries instead of hiring from non-Arab countries, said Egyptian Minister for Social Solidarity Ahmed Al-Borai, who is competing for the position of head of the Arab Labor Union, for which he was in the Kingdom to seek Saudi support.
He met with Labor Minister Adel Fakeih and officials at the Saudi Chambers of Commerce in Riyadh on Wednesday, Mustafa Abdul Jawwad of the Egyptian Embassy told Arab News on Thursday.
Abdul Jawwad told media sources that the Egyptian minister said that Arab countries can avoid social, cultural and security problems that arise from the presence of non-Arab labor in the Arab world.
He also emphasized that member countries can reduce unemployment problems internally. He said that Saudi Arabia should be a leading role model, being a larger country and guiding force.
The Egyptian minister said that education in the Arab world must focus on providing technically skilled manpower. “Arab countries should work on expanding training. This is Egypt’s prime focus,” he said.
Abdul Jawwad also urged the Saudi labor minister to recruit Egyptian nationals, saying his country is in the process of training about 100,000 youth, with assistance from the German government, in the field of building construction. “These youth can be provided with job opportunities,” Abdul Jawwad said quoting the minister.
The Egyptian minister requested Saudi assistance to Egypt in its recent political crisis. He said that Egypt also has sought opportunities for Egyptian youth in the Kingdom.
