Ain-Al-Yaqeen - April 30, 2004

		April 30, 2004

ON BEHALF OF PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ:
PRINCE KHALID IBN SULTAN OPENS THE SECOND SYMPOSIUM ON ELECTRONIC WARFARE IN RIYADH.
THE ASSISTANT MINISTER OF DEFENCE: OPEN SPACE AND INFORMATION ARE AMONGST THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENTS FOR VICTORY.
FOLLOWING THE TERRORISTS AND SECURING HOUSING COMPOUNDS IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INTERIOR MINISTRY, WHILE THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE PROVIDES SUPPORT WHEN ASKED TO DO SO.
MINISTER GHAZI AL-GOSAIBI: THE MINISTRY OF LABOR WILL FACE UNEMPLOYMENT WITH DECISIVE AND FIRM RESOLUTIONS.
THE MINISTER OF FINANCE PRESENTS THE LATEST ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT TO THE SHOURA COUNCIL.

On behalf of Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, Prince Khaled bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation for Military Affairs, will open here Sunday a symposium on the "Second Electronic War". The four-day symposium is organized by the Ministry of Defense and Aviation . Prince Khaled pointed out that the symposium aims at shedding light on the importance of the electronic war and its application on the national defense systems . The symposium will be attended by a number of military experts, representatives of military missions of the friendly countries, representatives of the specialized local and international companies, in addition to members of the academic staff of the Saudi universities and King Abdulaziz City for Sciences and Technology. On behalf of Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General, Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs, opened a symposium on electronic warfare organized by the Ministry of Defense and Aviation.

Prince Khalid was received by the Chief of the General Staff General Saleh Ibn Ali Al Mohaya, the Commander of the operations in the Armed Forces Staff Major General Hussein Ibn Abdullah Habtar the Assistant Commander in Chief for security Major General Engineer Hamad Ibn Sulaiman Al Youssofi.

Upon arrival the celebrations started with readings from the Holy Quran then Major General Engineer Hamad Ibn Sulaiman Al Youssofi delivered a speech in which he welcomed Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defense and Aviation and Inspector General for Military Affairs.

He spoke about the role of electronic warfare and said a number of people from the Kingdom and from abroad are taking part in the Symposium.

Major General Engineer Hamad Ibn Sulaiman Al Youssofi added that the symposium will discuss a number of subjects amongst which the development of the techniques of electronic warfare since the war of the liberation of Kuwait, second the expected development in this field and third information.

He said 27 lectures will be delivered at the symposium in addition to two working sessions and the exhibition.

Prince Turki Ibn Saud Ibn Mohammed, Supervisor of the Space Research Institute affiliated to the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology then presented a lecture on electronic warfare and its importance.

Prince Turki spoke about the apparatuses of electronic warfare and the importance of education and training in this field.

The Minister of Communications Engineer Mohammed Ibn Jamil Ibn Ahmad Mula then delivered a lecture in which he spoke about electronic and information warfare and explained its ways and techniques.

Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan then delivered a speech in which he emphasized his happiness to open the symposium on behalf of Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General and stressed the role of electronic warfare.

Prince Khalid talked about his experience in leading forces from 25 countries 14 years ago and stressed the importance of the study presented in the symposium in this field.

He also talked about the importance of training and organization in electronic warfare as emphasized the importance of the recommendations of the symposium in this field and its future.

At the end of his speech Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan was presented with a memorial gift and opened the exhibition held on the occasion.

In an interview with the press Prince Khalid Ibn Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Assistant Minister of Defence for Military Affairs said the symposium aims at finding solutions for the difficulties related to the electronic warfare. He said that restrictions in this field are obstacles in the development of this field everywhere except from developed countries.

Prince Khalid stressed the importance of developing this field and emphasized that all developments in the armed forces are achieved under the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd Ibn Abdul Aziz, Crown Prince Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Commander of the National Guard and Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General.

Prince Khalid spoke of the cooperation between different areas in the Kingdom and this field and in an answer to a question on whether the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would co-operated with France and South Africa in this field he said that all matters could be discussed.

Prince Khalid praised the cooperation between the Ministries of Communications and the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology adding that this cooperation is an example for all other cooperation especially with the privates sector. He said the open space and the information are amongst the most important elements for victory

On investment Prince Khalid said those concerned are the ones to speak about it.

On the co-operation between the army and the security forces in fighting terrorism Prince Khalid said this is the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior but the Ministry of Defence offers its support whenever it is needed.

A number of speakers at the symposium explained aspects and elements of the electronic war, stressing its importance in modern warfare and a number of officials attended the opening ceremony.

On the other hand the Minister of Labor Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi said his Ministry would work for ending the phenomenon of unemployment. In a statement to SPA, Dr Al-Gosaibi said unemployment among the Saudis constitutes a challenge which should be faced by decisive and firm resolutions, adding 'as long as doors are open wide for the recruitment of foreign expatriates, then it will be impossible to solve the problem of unemployment.'

He noted that the Ministry of Labor will take appropriate measures to decrease the number of foreign expatriates in a gradual and systematic manner.

Dr Al-Gosaibi made it clear the success of the Saudization process would be linked with the success of the training programs of the national cadres, and said the Ministry of labor in cooperation with the private sector would double its efforts in field of training programs.

'It is high time to get rid of the legend which says that Saudis don't accept manual works', he said adding that 'it is hoped that the businessmen will help the Saudi youth in obtaining suitable jobs'.

Dr Al-Gosaibi pointed out that the era of economic boom was over, and added 'the Ministry of Labor will not enact new legislations, but it will carry out the existing legislations'.

He warned against the phenomenon of illegally staying back, and said the concerned authorities would tackle this unacceptable phenomena. Dr Al-Gosaibi urged the citizens to cooperate with the concerned authorities for combating the phenomenon of illegally staying back in the country.

He expressed confidence that the Saudi inventors would positively contribute to containing the phenomenon of unemployment.

The New Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has promised drastic measures to solve the country's unemployment problem. "The new ministry will deal with the issue drastically," he said.

Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, the former minister of water and electricity who was sworn in as labor minister on Sunday, said the Kingdom was ready to face the "dangerous challenge" of unemployment head-on.

"Unemployment among the Saudis is a dangerous challenge and cannot be tackled with tranquilizers or symbolic measures," the minister said.

"The issue demands drastic measures, and will be painful sometimes," Al-Madinah newspaper quoted him as saying.

Unofficial statistics have estimated the Kingdom's unemployment rate at more than 15 percent not counting women. But official figures insisted that the rate is less than 10 percent. "It is impossible for a country to end unemployment while opening its doors for the recruitment of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers," Dr Al-Gosaibi said.

According to a report carried by Al-Hayat pan-Arab daily, the Labor Ministry intends to prevent recruitment of foreign labor to 29 job categories, which will be restricted to Saudis.

Dr Al-Gosaibi emphasized the need to train Saudis to meet job market requirements and added the ministry would also reduce the ceiling for foreign workers in the country.

The new Labor Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi has announced a 12-point policy to firmly end unemployment among Saudis. The policy hinges on cutting down the number of expatriate workers in the Kingdom.

It will be impossible to solve the problem of unemployment [among Saudis] as long as the doors are wide open for recruitment of expatriate workers, he said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency.

Dr Al-Gosaibi, who was appointed the new labor minister last week after the ministry of labor and social affairs was split into two, said his ministry will firmly implement rules to put an end to the phenomenon of unemployment. Adequate measures will be taken to cut down the number of the expatriates in a gradual and systematic way, he added.

Unemployment in Saudi Arabia is estimated at 8 percent, according to the Central Department of Statistics which released the data last September. It was the first official estimate of the jobless figure among males in Saudi Arabia. However, privately tabulated figures, by the banking sector for example, put the jobless rate at between 15 to 30 percent.

Last February 21, the government stepped up its campaign to enforce Saudization in 25 job catergories. These include training managers, public relations officers, administrative assistants, purchasing managers, secretaries, operators, warehouse supervisors, debt collectors, customer service accountants, tellers, postmen, data handlers, librarians, book sellers, ticket kiosk keepers, taxi drivers, auto salesmen, janitors, internal mail handlers and tour guides.

Dr Al-Gosaibi, who has held cabinet portfolios in health, industry, water and electricity and has a track record of being a high achiever, said unemployment among Saudis constitutes a challenge that should be faced by decisive and firm resolutions. The number of Saudi and non-Saudi registered workers in the Kingdom is 5,271,686, of whom 605,680 are Saudis, the Labor Ministry Information Center declared last week, providing the count up to April 7, 2004.

The minister made it clear that success of the Saudization process is directly linked to training of Saudi jobseekers. The Ministry of Labor in cooperation with the private sector will design training programs matching the needs of the labor market, he pledged, adding that it is high time to explode the myth of Saudis refusing to accept manual jobs.

He hoped that businesses would respond accordingly by employing Saudi youth. For years the government has been the main employer of Saudis but this has resulted in over-employment, and now the onus of employing them has been passed on to the private sector.

While pushing for employment of citizens, the minister warned against expectations of favoritism. Being Saudi does not give Saudi workers any right to not carry out their job obligations and nor should they expect special treatment. The Ministry will only take the side of the Saudis who work hard and fulfill their work duties. It will never ever support any negligent worker be he a Saudi or expatriate. It should also be understood that the private sector looks for productivity and when business owners find productive and active Saudi workers there would not be any need for foreign workers.

The private sector has reached saturation point to the extent that it cannot absorb more service seekers hoping to just land a job without contributing the required skills and commitment, the minister said. It is impractical to force random decisions on the private sector to recruit nationals.

He said the ministry will fully coordinate with business owners as full partners in the drive to employ Saudis. The Ministry will never look at the business sector as an unfriendly party that should be subjugated by the power of the legislation. It will treat the business sector as a friend of the Saudi workers that is equally concerned about employment of Saudi citizens, he assured.

Half the Saudi population is under 18 years of age on the back of a 3.6 percent population growth. In February 2003, the Manpower Council approved a plan calling for making foreign nationals working and living in Saudi Arabia comprise 20 per cent of the population by 2013.

Currently, Saudi Arabia s total population is put at around 24 million, including 7.5 million expatriates. Thus, foreign workers and their dependents constitute 31 percent of the total inhabitants. Accordingly, the total number of foreign nationals must be reduced to 6.6 million by the target date. The plan stipulates a quota system whereby no nationality should exceed 10 per cent of the total expatriates.

The times have changed and the era of economic boom is over, Dr Al-Gosaibi said. He believes the groundwork has been laid to open up jobs for Saudis. The Ministry of Labor will not enact new legislations, it will carry out the existing regulations and legislations to find jobs for Saudis.

The government s Seventh Five-Year Plan [ 2001-2005] calls for creating some 817,000 jobs for Saudis. In February 2003, the Manpower Council approved a plan calling for making foreign nationals working and living in Saudi Arabia comprise 20 percent of the population by 2013. Currently, Saudi Arabia s total population is put at around 24 million, including 7.5 million expatriates. Thus, foreign workers and their dependents constitute 31 per cent of the total inhabitants.

Accordingly, the total number of foreign nationals must be reduced to 6.6 million by the target date. The plan stipulates a quota system whereby no nationality should exceed 10 per cent of the total expatriates.

But then the government is faced with a phenomenon of illegal residents - mostly overstaying pilgrims hunting for jobs. Dr Al-Gosaibi said this will no longer be tolerated. His ministry is determined more than ever to track them down and deport them so as to eliminate this unacceptable phenomenon which is responsible for the spread of several negative social problems.

He said the country s laws will be strictly implemented on illegal residents who work unlawfully outside the umbrella of the Saudi laws and rules.

But legal residents, on the other hand, will be well treated. Dr Al-Gosaibi assured that his ministry looks at every legal resident working in the Kingdom as a respectable and honorable guest for whom it works hard to maintain and protect his rights.

He advised illegal residents to legalize their status and called upon citizens to cooperate with the ministry to curb this phenomenon which inflicts on the country huge financial losses. He said his ministry will soon increase the number of labor inspectors.

Hitting out at those trading in work visas, he said, This malpractice hampers efforts aimed at localizing jobs as it leads to unskilled foreign workers pouring into the country and further aggravating the unemployment problem.

It also tarnishes the country s image abroad in that foreign manpower is imported and left without any source of income. Malicious circles abroad may exploit this matter against the Kingdom, he said.

Meanwhile Saudi Arabia has made strides toward the privatization of 20 major sectors including air transport, water, desalination, electricity and railways, said Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf.

"The Supreme Economic Council has shown keen interest in the issue of privatization," the minister told the 120-member Shoura Council during a meeting in Riyadh.

The sectors to be privatized also included airport services, government hotels, sports clubs, the postal service and sewage systems.

Dr Al-Assaf denied reports the Kingdom had foreign debts. "Our debts are entirely domestic and we have set out an effective plan to cut down these debts," he said.

"The government makes use of its surplus budget to pay off its debts," the minister told the consultative body. "The state has worked out a strategic plan to float shares in some corporations in the stock market," he said. They would be floated gradually to avoid any negative effect on the market, he added.

In terms of foreign remittances from expatriate workers, he said Saudi Arabia was second in the world only to the United States.

But the minister emphasized that the government would not put any obstacles in the way of such money transfers, although it was thinking of other strategies to keep these enormous funds active in the country.

"Recently we have opened the door for foreigners to invest in stocks within the limits of certain regulations," he said. Foreigners are also allowed to invest in real estate.

Answering a question of a Shoura member, Dr Al-Assaf highlighted the Kingdom's efforts to stabilize world oil prices in cooperation with other producers.

He said the Kingdom had made use of the Oil Revenue Fund in some years that witnessed a decline in oil prices.

The minister also announced plans by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency to modernize regulations on monitoring banking activities.

He expressed hope the private sector growth rate of four percent last year would increase further in the coming years. Private companies would be given more opportunities to invest in government projects, he added.

The financial market would become operational very soon, the minister indicated. "A lot of activities have taken place in this area and we will announce members of the financial market authority shortly," he added.

On the other hand the Kingdom s housing project is expected to be discussed by the Shoura Council.

The project was suggested by the Shoura Council based on a study conducted two years ago by the Ministry of Planning. The study showed that only 55 percent of the Saudi citizens are homeowners. Housing experts believe the reason for low home ownership is due to unemployment among Saudis accompanied by a shortage of government s resources.

The Saudi government, is calling for more private sector involvement in economic reform. The government also is encouraging more industrial projects and foreign investment into the country.

Improving living conditions for poor or low-income households is another part of the government s economic reform plan.

The campaign against poverty was announced in January last year after Crown Prince Abdullah visited a poor quarter of Riyadh and saw for himself the living conditions of the people there. The enormous influx of rural and desert people into urban areas has led to proliferation of squatter settlements and unplanned houses in cities.

Tackling the housing problem is not new to the government. It started with the establishment of the General Housing Department in 1971 under the Ministry of Finance and National Economy that was. It later developed to become the Ministry of Housing and Public Works.

This department implemented public housing programs, while the Ministry undertook the program of designing and constructing low-income households. It selected recipients of houses, collecting of payments of interest-free loan repayable over a 25-year period and maintenance of public spaces and services of the projects.

During the last 17 years the government gave away 1,200,000 plots, ranging from 400 to 900 square meters, to eligible people in different Saudi cities.

The Real Estate Development Fund (REDF) granted 425,000 loans to individuals totaling SR105.646 billion ($28.172 billion) for constructing of 510,000 housing units, according to the Arab Urban Development Institute.