Saudization is everyone’s responsibility, says Almarai CEO

Saudization is Almarai's "strategic" choice and the responsibility of everyone in Saudi Arabia, said Abdulrahman Al-Fadley, chief executive of the country’s top dairy producer. 

The kingdom needs to act fast in order to create job opportunities for Saudi youth, especially that time is not on the side of the labor market, he noted in an interview with Al Arabiya news channel.

Because the market is currently in need of strong talent, Saudi youth have to be more “serious” in terms of job-hunting, he stressed.

Saudi youth also need to further improve their skills through training courses in order to be able to compete in the labor market, he added. 

Saudi-based companies are currently aiming to improve their Saudization rates based on the kingdom’s Nitaqat, or nationalization system.

Saudization is a policy adopted by the kingdom, and is meant to encourage the employment of locals in the private sector. 

Companies or institutions that fail to comply with the policy's regulations may be barred from competing for government contracts, according to state policy.