Economics and Private Sector
University of Stirling
Saudization and Skill Formation for Employment in the Private Sector
A Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Division of Business and Organization School of Management
By Serhan Abdullah Al-Shammari January 2009
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My gratitude first goes to the Almighty Allah, with His word: Qun Fa Yaqun (Qur’an 19: 35). I would like to express my sincere recognition to my principal supervisor Dr. Stewart Butts who provided me with quality and friendly supervision to finalize this work. Sincere regards also due to Dr. Gerry Hallier, my secondary advisor who provided efficient supervision and academic advises during the early phase of my work. My sincere thanking goes to my wife Foza for her suffering, encouragement, sacrifice whilst studying in the UK since 2002 and throughout until graduation. I would like to thank most sincerely the Institute of Banking of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency for granting me a scholarship to make my study possible here in the UK. I am also deeply grateful to my family and relatives in Saudi Arabia especially Dr. Eid Al-Shammary for the full support and encouragement to finish this work.
I extend special thanks to the interviewees for participating and providing me with valuable and practical data that were the core of this doctoral thesis.
ii
ABSTRACT The development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been associated with its growing petroleum industry since late 1930s. This development has created a
sudden wealth in the country that shaped its labour market as well as its skill formation systems in the years after. It has also, thanks to the government
involvement, developed the country’s world class economy and its evolving private sector. However, this involvement has also created a duel labour market in which Saudis expect employment in the government while expatriates are continuously employed in private organizations. Employment in the government was always
Saudization and Skill Formation for Employment in the Private Sector
A Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Division of Business and Organization School of Management
By Serhan Abdullah Al-Shammari January 2009
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My gratitude first goes to the Almighty Allah, with His word: Qun Fa Yaqun (Qur’an 19: 35). I would like to express my sincere recognition to my principal supervisor Dr. Stewart Butts who provided me with quality and friendly supervision to finalize this work. Sincere regards also due to Dr. Gerry Hallier, my secondary advisor who provided efficient supervision and academic advises during the early phase of my work. My sincere thanking goes to my wife Foza for her suffering, encouragement, sacrifice whilst studying in the UK since 2002 and throughout until graduation. I would like to thank most sincerely the Institute of Banking of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency for granting me a scholarship to make my study possible here in the UK. I am also deeply grateful to my family and relatives in Saudi Arabia especially Dr. Eid Al-Shammary for the full support and encouragement to finish this work.
I extend special thanks to the interviewees for participating and providing me with valuable and practical data that were the core of this doctoral thesis.
ii
ABSTRACT The development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been associated with its growing petroleum industry since late 1930s. This development has created a
sudden wealth in the country that shaped its labour market as well as its skill formation systems in the years after. It has also, thanks to the government
involvement, developed the country’s world class economy and its evolving private sector. However, this involvement has also created a duel labour market in which Saudis expect employment in the government while expatriates are continuously employed in private organizations. Employment in the government was always
References: 382 King Faisal University in URL: http://www.kfu.edu.sa/About/history-2.asp, 22 November, 2008, Time 10:00 PM