Tuesday 31 July 2012

Saudi Arabia: still worried about youth employment | beyondbrics

Halwani Bros, a Saudi food producer, seems to think it has a recipe for labour market transformation – beyond the dense, sesame halawa dessert, for which it is famous. The 60-year-old, Riyadh-listed company has set a minimum wage of SAR3,000 ($800) per month for Saudi employees, according to a report in Arab News.

The move may only benefit 80 nationals employed at food production plants across the kingdom, as well as 50 more that the company plans to hire – but the decision could have far-reaching ramifications for other Saudis.

Persuading nationals to take worse paid, less prestigious, and generally tougher jobs in the private sector is perhaps the greatest challenge facing the Arab world’s largest economy, as well as its Gulf neighbours.

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