Saudizing aviation jobs a ‘mission impossible’

Jeddah : A top official at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has said there is an urgent need for certified trainers capable of providing specialized courses to Saudis seeking jobs in the country’s aviation sector.

‎‏Husain Al-Zahrani, head of JCCI’s aviation and supporting services committee, however said this was not what prevents the Saudization of the sector and the actual impediment is the bureaucracy at the Ministry of Labor.

He was speaking at a meeting organized by the Ministry of Labor with the aviation committee and the Human Resources Development Fund on Tuesday to discuss ways to provide qualified locals to work in technical, sales, engineering and maintenance jobs in the sector.

“Whenever we request for trainers from abroad, the Ministry of Labor refuses visas and it asks us to localize the jobs available, but it is not just a difficult talks but is a mission impossible,” Al-Zahrani said.

He added that some companies spend large amounts on training Saudis who surprise their employers by leaving the jobs immediately after the training when they find better offers elsewhere. “The employment contracts for Saudis do not have articles stipulating any mandatory period of employment and therefore the locals can easily jump from one company to another, especially in the face of the increasing demand for Saudi employees,” Al-Zahrani said.

Another challenge for Saudizadion of the aviation sector, he noted, is the agreement between Saudi Arabia and various countries that states six top jobs must be held by officials from the country operating the airline. These positions are of regional manager, finance manager, general sales manager, aviation operation agent, flight engineer and area operations agent.

‎‏Abdul Basit Al-Jahdali, an assistant to the head of the labor office in Jeddah, asked participants of the meeting to lodge an official complaint with the labor office for clarification on the status of their requests.

“The Ministry of Labor does not seek to create obstacles before anyone, but it seeks to create job opportunities for young Saudis by making the job market attractive for them,” Al-Jahdali said.

‎‏‏Muhyuddin Al-Hakami, deputy secretor-general of JCCI, said the chamber gives special attention to various support services at the airport. He noted that JCCI has 69 committees that discuss the needs of businesses, address challenges and solutions.

He added that the support services are an integral part of the airport operations and people working in them represent the Kingdom before 10 million passengers passing the airport each year.
‎‏There are 550 aviation companies and offices that service the various aviation operations, including flight operations, passenger service, maintenance, cargo and flight reservations, among many others.