60% Saudis don’t have own houses: NSHR chief

From 45 to 60 percent of Saudis are unable to own houses and heads of nearly 35,000 Saudi families earn less than SR2,000 a month, according to Mufleh Al-Qahtani, president of the National Society of Human Rights.

Al-Qahtani made the remarks while speaking to reporters after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Saudi Establishment for Education and Training (SEET). The agreement is aimed at providing education and training to members of needy families.

Al-Qahtani said NSHR had received complaints from many people about businesses denying them jobs despite having the necessary qualifications.

“When we investigated the reasons behind this, we found that the standard of training they received was poor while their educational qualifications were insufficient,” he said.

The government has allocated SR10 billion to build low-cost housing in different parts of the country to meet the needs of the poor. Many charitable organizations have also focused their attention on the housing issue.

Al-Qahtani, however, said the Kingdom lacked regulations encouraging social service initiatives by individuals and organizations. “The hurdles begin from opening a bank account,” he said.

He emphasized the importance of providing education and training to change the situation of the poor. “Providing direct financial assistance is not the ideal solution,” he said.

“Getting a job is the right of every citizen,” he stressed, adding that employment helps a person to lead a decent life and support his family.

Prince Abdullah bin Faisal bin Turki, chairman of SEET, said his organization has been supporting nearly 12,000 young men and women, by providing them with scholarships in association with educational and training institutions in the country.

“We are not facing any problem in extending educational and training services to the poor,” the prince said. However, he pointed out that bureaucratic hurdles and lack of systems were hampering social work. “Bureaucracy is a killer of many things,” Al-Watan daily quoted Prince Abdullah as saying.

The establishment addresses the needs of different social groups including families of martyrs and prisoners, as well as orphans, people of special needs, drug addicts getting treatment at Al-Amal Hospital, and beneficiaries of charitable housing programs.

“We are trying to alleviate the suffering of certain needy families and individuals in terms of human rights and administrative procedures,” he said.

Prince Abdullah disclosed SEET’s plan to sign agreements with the social security agency of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Awasir Society.

The main objectives of the National Charitable Fund and Manpower Development Fund are to support the needy to receive education and training, he said.

“These organizations should get out of their bureaucratic and conventional systems that obstruct their activities. Although, they possess a large amount of money their activities have not yet reached the expected levels,” he added.

(Source: arabnews.com)

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