An Indian diner said it was in trouble, unable to secure work permits for its South Asian chefs, leaving its expansion plans in limbo.

The exodus has sent the rental property market plummeting and cities like Riyadh are dotted with empty storefronts and shopping malls amid slack customer demand.

Some businesses implementing ‘Saudization’ also complain of a high rate of attrition and a displaced sense of entitlement among more expensive Saudi workers accustomed to different economic realities.

A manager at a refrigerator manufacturing plant that recently hired dozens of Saudi assemblers and technicians said a handful of them were found ‘sleeping in their cars during working hours’.

Many companies are reported to be circumventing the policy by paying Saudi workers small salaries to sit at home, effectively creating bogus jobs in a malpractice termed ‘fake Saudization’.

The contentious policy is not driving down joblessness among nationals. Unemployment among Saudis rose to nearly 13 percent in the first quarter of this year.

The challenge, observers say, is not just to create more jobs for Saudis but also to convince citizens to take them.

Flipping sizzling slabs of meat inside his food truck, Ajmi said in the early days his business was a one-man show. He did everything from dicing vegetables to handling the countertop deep fryer.

He has since hired two more Saudis and two Indian workers, but recruiting Saudis willing to do the late-night job — from 9:00 pm until midnight — remains a challenge.

A dazzlingly lit coffee and dessert food truck parked next to his is also owned by a Saudi, but the workers inside are all Filipinos.

Share This Post