In Today's News...

In an effort to put "locals" to work, the Human Resouces Development Fund announced today that it has spent "SR2.1 million" [$563,002.68 U.S.] in "the first five months of 2008 to support private sector establishments in the training and recruitment of Saudis." [Training and recruiting them to do what, exactly?] The director of the organization, Ahmad Al-Mansour Al-Zamil, says "the organization had found employment for 50,000 Saudi men and women, and spent more than SR570 million on various training and recruitment programs." [SR570 is $152,815,013.40 in U.S. dollars!] That is a lot of money... part of that money, is used for the "vocational counseling programs" which "familiarize them with work environments and settings."

What part of their "vocational counseling programs" gives these job-seekers the comprehensive training they will need to use their mobile phones throughout the entire duration of a work day? The article doesn't say. Just wondering...

We have news of a "new compulsory health insurance scheme that will be implemented shortly" for "the estimated four million domestic workers." Not that it will be a bad thing, to provide these workers with healh care coverage. The article doesn't specify who will be required to pay for the coverage, though, and if I had to venture a guess, it won't be the responsibility of the employer-sponsor but instead it will come out of the pockets of the already underpaid, over-worked domestics... So, they will be paid for 11 months of the year, instead of 12? The coverage is going to cost and entire month's salary for these workers!

Health Minister, Dr. Hamad Al-Manie, said "that an annual premium of SR500 would be levied on every housemaid or driver ... the benefits include medical treatment and the cost of repatriation of the dead body in the event of death." Hmmph. "...dead body in the event of death." Well, you don't have a dead body unless there's a death... But, still. That's saying something if one chooses to read between the lines...

Police arrested a Filipino in Jubail for helping a Filipina maid escape from her employer on May 27. Hmmm. Why in the world would a maid want to escape from her employer? Can't imagine...

The hopes and dreams of a little house with a white picket fence and 2.1 kids has been "dashed" for "46 Saudis ... when pre-marital tests during the last five months revealed that either they were HIV positive or were suffering from Hepatitis B and C." This article says:

"After adding the AIDS and Hepatitis B and C to the list of pre-marital tests conducted during the past five months it was found that 23 people were HIV positive ... post-marital test program prohibits marrying of HIV positive people. The ministry doesn’t interfere in cases of Hepatitis B and C."

Is "post-marital test" a typo? If it isn't, then you can double the number of people who have been found to be HIV positive. Interesting to note that "reports have shown that men and women are equally suffering from Hepatitis in the Kingdome but the percentage differes in those suffering from AIDS as they have revealed that 5 men to 1 woman are affected by the fatal disease." Wait a second, now... How is AIDS contacted? Oh. Yeah. "The majority of HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sexual relations. Sexual transmission can occur when infected sexual secretions of one partner come into contact with the genital, oral, or rectal mucous membranes of another." That's how...