Saudi Press Roundup

Let us fight corruption

Corruption has become rampant in our societies. Actually it has nothing to do with Arab culture. When somebody tells us that a person is corrupt, the first thing that comes to our minds is that the person might be a drunkard or an addict or an adulterer and you don’t think about administrative and financial corruption.
We see everyday people using company vehicles to transport their families and for other personal purposes or use their influence to get their relatives employed in their companies. We don’t see anything wrong in this behavior but westerners consider such things a kind of corruption.
Some people go to the traffic director and make use of their friendship to get their things done quickly and cancel some traffic tickets and tell others they have to follow the rule. Corruption is a complicated issue and everybody of us should play his/her role to eradicate it to save our present and future generations.
— By Abdullah bin Bakheet

Separate ministry for industries

I would like to emphasize that industry must be separated from the Commerce. This move will strengthen the country’s industrial sector. I would say the Kingdom’s industrial revolution began when we had a separate ministry for the sector. Late Ghazi Al-Gosaibi was the Kingdom’s first industry minister. He was a man for difficult missions. During his time we saw the establishment of Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), which has now become a world leader in petrochemicals.
The Industrial Development Fund has also played a big role in accelerating the sector’s growth. A large number of industrial cities were established during the past years. According to the latest statistics, there are 5,384 industries in the Kingdom with a total capital investment of SR450 billion by the end of 2013. They employ more than 310,000 workers including expatriates.
The industrial sector’s contribution to the GDP (SR1.24 trillion) represented 11.75 percent while the contribution of non-oil downstream industries jumped from SR142 billion in 2012 to SR149 billion in 2013, registering an annual growth of 4.9 percent.
According to the minister of commerce and industry, Saudi Arabia has overtaken other Gulf countries in the number of industries and total volume of industrial investment. Saudi Arabia’s remarkable progress in the sector demands the establishment of a separate ministry. A separate ministry will be able to play a strategic role in driving the Kingdom’s economic growth.
— By Abdullah Dahlan

They are students...not prisoners

I graduated from King Saud University in 2000. I have heard some complaints from female students living in the university hostel. I expected that things would have improved at the hostel during the past 14 years as a result of social progress and cultural openness. Unfortunately, we don’t see much progress. The hostel management still deals with women students, including those studying for doctorate degrees, like inmates. I believe that it is high time for the university and the hostel management to listen to the complaints of its female students.
These students suffer from mental torture everyday due to their treatment like children. Female students are banned from going out to purchase necessary items. They are even not allowed to purchase anything through a representative. They have to wait for a month to get the approval. Another issue is the ban on mobile phones with cameras. I would like to know whether any cell phone is available now without cameras.
The management always deals with female students with suspicion. The principle is: The student is always accused unless proved otherwise. A girl is not allowed to go home during weekends except with her legal guardian. If parents have no problem in allowing their daughters to come home using public transport, what is the reason for this strange ban? How can our women achieve progress while they live in this prison-like atmosphere?
— By Samar Al-Muqrin

Power of attorney

Many of us issue power of attorney for a person or several persons to authorize them to do some activities on our behalf, be they related to purchasing property or completing some procedures at government departments. But often we ignore such authorization letters after issuance, without being bothered about its consequences.
This may be because of the confidence we have in the agent as we have given him/her some powers to do various things on our behalf. We should make sure that the power of attorneys should be given for specific purposes, despite the position of the agent, be it a husband or brother or wife.
We have seen that as a result of the mistakes done by the authorized persons, the person who issued the authorization had to suffer economic losses. This important point should be considered while issuing such power of attorneys.
We should also take back the power of attorney from individuals after the completion of its purpose. If they refuse to return, measures should be taken immediately to cancel it to avoid its misuse.
— By Dr. Qaiser Hamid Mutawae

CSR and Kingdom’s banks

Financial reports show impressive growth of banks in Saudi Arabia. The performance of banks has led a group of citizens to question the impact of this growth on the society at large. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is not new to anyone. Many banks are currently supporting university programs through endowments while others support scientific and academic programs through donations and a number of other free services.
Citizens are eager to see more programs that impact the community. These programs should be embedded in the organizational structure of these financial institutions and be overseen by a designated management team. The government has undoubtedly assumed a leading role for the provision of social services; the private sector should also get more involved in supporting social causes. There is not doubt that banks in the Kingdom have contributed to various social programs but much more is required of them.
— By Dr. Salah bin Fahad Al-Shahloub

Taking care of elderly

A recent health issue forced me to reflect on my lifestyle and I found myself in the grip of the fear of getting old. I prayed to God that I never become a burden on anyone, even on my own children.
Saudi Arabia has witnessed an increase in elderly citizens, with the proportion expected to increase from 4.8 percent in 2000 to 10 percent by the year 2025 and 12.9 percent by 2050. This means a higher prevalence of people with special needs. The General Administration of Primary Health Centers in the Kingdom has prepared a national five-year strategy for the provision of health services to the elderly. According to official statistics, there are 600,000 elderly citizens in the country, but only 6,000 or 1 percent, have applied for special care programs.
Despite existing services, elderly citizens are simply unaware of their rights and services provided by our government, as it is difficult for them to access the channels that allow them to take advantage of such services due to bureaucratic procedures.
— By Lamya Ibrahim