Saudi king offers benefits as he returns from treatment

[GuestFellow]

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has announced increased benefits for his citizens, as he returned after months abroad getting medical treatment.

I'm not surprised to hear this but it is interesting. The Saudis should take full advantage over the current situation and demand for more benefits.

Among the 15 - 24 age group, unemployment in Saudi Arabia is reported to be almost 40%.

I thought unemployment in the UK was bad...

[Argamemnon]

What the.. ? As a "state" Saudi Arabia is the biggest joke on earth.. 40% unemployment despite so much wealth. Something is seriously wrong in that society. This is not how a Muslim society should be!

[CosmicPathos]

the unemployment for that age group 15-24 does not surprise me. I did not have a single job till I was 18 years old. And then I moved out to some other country.

Simply stated, there is no culture of young people working in Saudi Arabia. Students do not work! Those who work, they are usually not good students, and hence the society creates a taboo. That is, a student who works by default is a bad student at school. Hence, smart and hard working students never work. In fact, even if they wanted to work, what kind of word they could do? There are no such opportunities to work at Mcdonalds or be a newspaper boy etc. Let alone that, there is no atmosphere of volunteerism! I never knew what volunteering means while I was in school there ...

But I've realized that one's social experiences as growing up can be very different depending on which school you go to, in Saudi. My childhood experiences and worldviews are very different from a student who went to Minarat ul Riyadh (a private multicultural) school, for example.

[titus]

Bribe the people to keep yourselves in power. Heck, even the Roman emperors knew to do that because most will usually fall for it.

[جوري]

What the.. ? As a "state" Saudi Arabia is the biggest joke on earth.. 40% unemployment despite so much wealth. Something is seriously wrong in that society. This is not how a Muslim society should be!

actually you'd be surprised at how little wealth they have ''the average people that is'' - I have lived there for four years and the salaries were mediocre.. they hired alot of foreign workers, our upstairs neighbors who were pure Saudis and were the only Saudis in the entire building and they were struggling that the wife had to take on a job as a seamstress to make ends meet with her husband. I have seen many Saudis search in the garbage for food (I swear to God) and that is a very sad sight.. in school there were some benefits only to orphans not even the poor and it came in the form of textile so people can make their own garment.
A doctor which I guess is the highest salary you can make outside of the royal family or shrewd and unscrupulous business people would make around 18000 ryal which is maybe equivalent to $4800.. it isn't as bad as Egypt or Yemen but still pretty bad.

I don't know how things are now since I left a long time ago but I assume it has gotten worst since...

[Cabdullahi]

actually you'd be surprised at how little wealth they have ''the average people that is'' - I have lived there for four years and the salaries were mediocre.. they hired alot of foreign workers, our upstairs neighbors who were pure Saudis and were the only Saudis in the entire building and they were struggling that the wife had to take on a job as a seamstress to make ends meet with her husband. I have seen many Saudis search in the garbage for food (I swear to God) and that is a very sad sight.. in school there were some benefits only to orphans not even the poor and it came in the form of textile so people can make their own garment.
A doctor which I guess is the highest salary you can make outside of the royal family or shrewd and unscrupulous business people would make around 18000 ryal which is maybe equivalent to $4800.. it isn't as bad as Egypt or Yemen but still pretty bad.

I don't know how things are now since I left a long time ago but I assume it has gotten worst since...

My mother will back you up on that...shes told me the same thing......she said she saw young beggars....both male and female

[جوري]

My mother will back you up on that...shes told me the same thing......she said she saw young beggars....both male and female

I saw a frail old man once search through the garbage there until he found a sandwich and my friends kept telling me he's a poor Yemeni not Saudi as if that makes it better.. I can't take the image out of my head until now.. it really made me very sad all things considered and especially due to his age..

[Argamemnon]

actually you'd be surprised at how little wealth they have ''the average people that is'' - I have lived there for four years and the salaries were mediocre.. they hired alot of foreign workers, our upstairs neighbors who were pure Saudis and were the only Saudis in the entire building and they were struggling that the wife had to take on a job as a seamstress to make ends meet with her husband. I have seen many Saudis search in the garbage for food (I swear to God) and that is a very sad sight.. in school there were some benefits only to orphans not even the poor and it came in the form of textile so people can make their own garment.
A doctor which I guess is the highest salary you can make outside of the royal family or shrewd and unscrupulous business people would make around 18000 ryal which is maybe equivalent to $4800.. it isn't as bad as Egypt or Yemen but still pretty bad.

I don't know how things are now since I left a long time ago but I assume it has gotten worst since...

didn't know all this, subhan'Allah, thanks for sharing.

[ardianto]

the unemployment for that age group 15-24 does not surprise me.

It surprise me. Not because its unemployment rate but because its age. 15-24 is age of study when people are going to high schools, college or universities, and students are not unemployed people. In many countries if people do not go to schools in that age that is because they are poor, but I read in some articles, Saudis are rich people and almost all of them are study in universities, including their women.

[ardianto]

I have seen many Saudis search in the garbage for food (I swear to God) and that is a very sad sight..

Now I am so shocked.

Many people in my place never heard about it. Local brothers that always promote Saudi Arabia as the ideal Islamic country never told about it. And media often wrote articles about "jet set life style of Saudi people".

[CosmicPathos]

I saw a frail old man once search through the garbage there until he found a sandwich and my friends kept telling me he's a poor Yemeni not Saudi as if that makes it better.. I can't take the image out of my head until now.. it really made me very sad all things considered and especially due to his age..

I concur. I have similar and worse images in my head. Of niqabi saudi women ..... looking for food in those black/green colored garbage drums

[KAding]

My mother will back you up on that...shes told me the same thing......she said she saw young beggars....both male and female

That is sad, of course. But there aren't many countries on this planet where you will not find beggars IMHO.

[Zuzubu]

No beggers in Denmark, only some pregnant kurds in the city asking for money.

But really, Saudia should be a khalif.

[ardianto]

That is sad, of course. But there aren't many countries on this planet where you will not find beggars IMHO.

We can find beggars in many countries in Asia, Africa and South America, but existence of beggars in these countries is not an irony like in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is a country that called Petrodollar because it rich although not the richest, there are other countries that richer than Saudi. But Saudi rich people are famous by their jet-set life style that often look crazy. I think you have heard about this. And also, Saudi is a country that always promoted as the most Islamic country by some people. But in the reality ............ ?

Honestly, sometime I think American non-Muslim rich people are more Islamic than Saudi Muslim rich people. I have heard about charity foundations that established by American rich people to help poor people. But what Saudi rich people did with their money ?. That's why I call it an irony.

[KAding]

No beggers in Denmark, only some pregnant kurds in the city asking for money.

I see, no beggars then. Just pregnant foreigners begging for money .

Mind you, I don't know much about Saudi society. I'm sure the situation is worse than in Denmark.

But really, Saudia should be a khalif.

Like the rest of the Muslim world I suppose.