Why young Saudis turn down blue-collar jobs

Despite the “Jobs on Air" television program’s success in looking for employment opportunities, many young Saudis refuse to accept blue-collar jobs.
“Based on a survey, there are at least five reasons why young Saudi males turn down menial jobs,” said Mohsin Shaikh Al-Hassan, program host. The program — which has found at least 8,500 jobs for young Saudi males and females since it went on air four months ago — is broadcast on Al Danah television channel from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. every Tuesday.
Al-Hassan said that one reason why young Saudis refuse to accept menial jobs is because of the family. “Saudi families did not train their children while small to do chores at home. They provided everything the child needed. That’s why children don’t want to accept menial jobs when they grow up,” he said.
Another reason is the fact that "in our heritage, young Saudi males prefer to work in the government instead of in the private sector.”
He added that they also fear not being accepted by women in marriage because of the kind of job they have. “In other words, a menial job is not one which a prospective wife could be proud of,” he said.
Al-Hassan added that many young Saudis believe that work in the private sector is not stable.
“That’s why many young Saudis transfer from one company to another. At 'Jobs on Air’ we received a curriculum vitae from a Saudi who had worked for 13 companies in one year,” he said.
He added, “That means he stayed for only 26 days in each job. This is the reason why many private firms are not encouraged to hire Saudis.”
He added that “if young Saudis accept the jobs offered by our program and undergo training, they could be much better than their counterparts in other countries.”
As an example, Al-Hassan cited Saudis hired by local banks, Saudi Aramco and SABIC. “They have become very successful after undergoing training,” he said.
As for Saudi women, Al-Hassan said that they also undergo the same experiences as their male counterparts.
“They won't accept jobs as chefs or waitresses in a restaurant, believing that it could be the reason why they don’t receive proposals for marriage from men,” he added.