Report: Saudi Government Employs 76,000 Illiterates

saudi media
FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty
Ali Waked

JAFFA, Israel – Tens of thousands of illiterate people have been employed by the Saudi government in 2015, a new report reveals.

The figures, relating only to employees with more than 15 years’ experience, stood at 76,459 people, down from 103,000 the previous year. At nearly 70,000, the overwhelming majority of them are men.

“An academic diploma isn’t the only criteria,” Saudi financial analyst Nasser Alfaqari said. “There are many positions that don’t require higher education, only manual skills.” Despite the apparently damning data, Alfaqari said that the level of manpower in the administration was “satisfactory.”

The report sparked a debate on social media.

“If 76,000 government employees are illiterate, what is the rate of unemployed university graduates????!!!” Mohammed tweeted.

“It’s as if someone said ‘don’t worry about the educated. Invest in the uneducated. They have more experience and are better suited to take us to the future,'” another commented sarcastically. “The educated can take his diploma and make a paper kite out of it.”

He later added: “In fact, why give the illiterate’s job to someone with a PhD? It’s better this way, with his experience.”

Ahmad simply tweeted: “Sack them.”

Sami wrote: “Come one, retire already.”
https://twitter.com/qpsss5/status/762515390798917632

Another user felt sorry for them: “May Allah bless them with livelihood. Tet them live.”
https://twitter.com/110899ab/status/762528586301640704

Salim wrote: “They should be helped. The ministries that hire them should encourage them to study and stop being illiterate.”

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