Excerpts:One-third Syrian housing destroyed or damaged. Saudis foreign
workers 10 April 2013

+++SOURCE: The Syria Report 10 April ’13:”A Third of Syria’s Housing Damaged
or Destroyed by Conflict”

SUBJECT: One-third Syria housing destroyed or damaged.

TEXT: A third of Syria’s housing units has been destroyed or damaged by the
conflict, according to the United Nations.

+++SOURCE: The Syria Report 10 April ’13:”Syria Takes Delivery of new
Shipment of Russian Gas Oil – Report ‘,Rutgers reported.

SUBJECT: Russia delivers gas oil to Syria

TEXT:Syria has taken delivery of a new shipment of gas oil as it increased
its imports of oil products in recent weeks, Reuters reported.

+++SOURCE: Saudi Gazette 11 April ’13:””We (Saudis) are a minority in our
own country”,Hamoud Talib
Okaz

SUBJECT: Saudi’s foreign workers

QUOTE:” ‘89% of the jobs in the private sector are filled with foreigners’ “

FULL TEXT:
I think the best description for our present condition regarding foreign
manpower came from no one other than Labor Minister Adel Fakieh himself.

He told the Okaz newspaper on Friday(5 April): “If the recruitment of
foreign manpower continues at this rate, we will soon be a minority in our
own country”.

This statement should be a wake up call, especially to the ears of those of
us who do not understand the problem in its real magnitude or foresee its
future perils. It should also be a warning bell to those who do not see
beyond their own personal interests and who naively sympathize with all the
people of the earth except the young Saudi men and women who are the real
future of the country.

There is a ferocious war that is visible and clear in some of its aspects
and obscure in other aspects. Not everybody can see the hidden aspects of
this war. There are blocs being formed, papers being rearranged and
preparation for confrontations by the expatriates and few a Saudis who
prefer the financial returns from fees and commissions over the interest and
stability of their own country.

About 26.6 percent of the Kingdom’s population are foreigners. This
represents a big demographic default, which, if allowed to continue, would
create an abnormal situation in which Saudis would be strangers and a
minority in their own country.

This leads us to ask why we are not like societies in the rest of the world
who serve themselves and have all their needs and requirements provided by
their own citizens? If these countries ever think of importing foreign
manpower it will be temporary and during times of dire necessity.

How can we accept the fact that about 89 percent of the jobs in the private
sector are filled with foreigners? This ratio may increase drastically if
the current situation is allowed to continue. If this ratio is found in any
other country, all resources will be mobilized to have it corrected. This is
exactly what we should so. We should mobilize all our energies and thoughts
to correcting this situation, otherwise we will be a minority in our own
country

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Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA