Shoe Is On the Other Foot

Wonder how it feels. Sixty Saudis have gone unpaid for five months. Here's the thing. Someone is stepping up to the plate and helping them. What about the scads of imported workers that go unpaid? Does anyone step up to the plate to help them? No. Never. They get bounced around the system and then deported. I am not faulting the Saudi Electric Company for offering help to the 60 Saudis "whose employer, a local contracted company, has failed to pay their salaries," but it would be good if someone - anyone - cared about the gazillion imported workers whose plight is the same. Mr. Al-Saqqa said "that the contracted company in question was being paid promptly for its work." What is the "contracted company?" How come no one can publish the name of these companies who see fit NOT to pay their workers? A little shame and humility would go a long way in rectifying matters.

This is a good thing. I hope it works. "The Kingdom's Saudization program received a boost with the recent graduation of 300 young Saudis who completed a six-month extensive training program..." The graduates will work in the construction field doing welding, electrical work, carpentry, painting, plumbing and scaffolding. The CEO of the [unnamed] construction company that initiated the training program and hired the graduates is likely going to be in for a heck of a rude awakening. I applaud the men for going through the training, but I'd be willing to bet that they don't last six months "on the job." It is hot outside and these jobs are physically demanding. I don't see young men, here, being able to handle the working conditions. [I was at the mall yesterday - more on that later - and there were a lot - A LOT - of young men milling about. What are they doing at the mall at ten o'clock in the morning? How come they aren't at work? Those men were not the men who just graduated from this six-month training program, and they were at the mall because it is air-conditioned and it is too hot to be outside!] And, I see it being too costly for the construction company - they will have to pay Saudis far more than imported workers are paid. The bottom line is going to be profit. If there is no profit, what is the point of having a company? It would be interesting to see how many of the workers are still on the job in six months... Yeah. Good luck with that.

The purpose of this? To waste taxpayers money. If I was a taxpayer from one of the ten cities who sent delegates [mayors and businessmen] here, to The Sandbox, "to familiarize themselves with social, cultural and economic aspects of Saudi Arabia" I would be livid. Absolutely furious. Someone tell me exactly why mayors and businessmen need "to familiarize themselves with social, cultural and economic aspects" of this country in order to run their own damn cities and towns! Wow. It is no wonder the United States is being run into the ground. How much this did waste cost? [I know a round-trip business class ticket from here to North Carolina costs about $3,700.00. If ten people traveled - that is $37,000 just for airline tickets!!!] No mention of what cities and towns were represented. Does anyone know? Unbelievable. UPDATE: Commenter, Linda, sent me this link from The News & Observer [I would be canceling our subscription to this paper if we still lived in Raleigh - for reasons far beyond this one article]. It says, "Mayor Bell plans to visit Saudi Arabia next month. Its government will pick up his expenses." Its government. Its as in Saudia Arabia's, or its as in Durham's? Not one hundred percent clear on that. The best part of the entire page is the one lone comment left by "Araleighreader," who has not started drinking the Kool-aid! He [she?] says, "'Bell said he was not sure how he was chosen for the trip.' Perhaps he made the top ten list of Dhimmi politicians..." [Read the entire comment.] Spot on Araleighreader! And, thanks, Linda!