By KHALID ALNOWAISER | ARAB NEWS
Challenges
facing young Saudis
There is no doubt that
the situation of young men in Saudi Arabia is very critical, almost as
difficult as the situation of Saudi women.
Given the fact that the
future of the country is wholly dependent upon our youth, who comprise the
largest demographic segment of Saudi society, it should be our top priority to
address and solve the problems facing them. It is clear that the country's unemployment
rate is rising and that the Saudization program has been ineffective and
impractical. An unfortunate consequence is the growing number of expatriates
who work at jobs that either do not appeal to young Saudis or require more
skills than they possess.
We seem to be
preoccupied with the rising price of oil instead of addressing this insidious
problem that threatens to cripple Saudi Arabia’s future economic development.
It is time we realized that our young men are the future of the country.
Socially, it is sad to
see our youth marginalized in an unprecedented way as a result of the
compulsory segregation of males and females. Their inability to interact
normally in public inhibits their emotional development so that they grow up
somewhat isolated as human beings. Young people are constantly watched to see
that they do not interact with one another in public places. This attitude
cripples their spirits and makes them place emphasis on activities that do not
promote the well-being of society as a whole.
In the context of
education, the situation is getting worse. Our education system places too much
emphasis on theoretical materials which deal with hearts rather than minds and
which ignore scientific study. The current system relies on repetition of religious
principles instead of independent thinking and logic and on memorization rather
than creative ideas that lead to innovation. In order to compete in the global
community, young Saudis must study applied sciences and other important courses
of study to strengthen and protect themselves from being misled by others,
specifically terrorist organizations. Philosophy is an example of such a
science, which is not taught in Saudi schools, even though it can expand one's
thinking process and culminate in new ideas that can benefit the society. Other
areas of study such as mathematics, music and sports need to be given more
emphasis so our youth become well-rounded individuals.
Culturally, our youth
have been prevented from expressing their opinions, ambitions, and expectations
by forces that are focused on killing the arts. Cinemas, theaters, exhibitions,
festivals, and competitions have been banned on the pretext of halal and taboo.
Indisputably, art is the instrument, which creates mental, psychological and sentimental
balance for individuals, helps them to act normally in their societies, and
opens new and broad outlooks. During the last 30 years, art has been fought
vigorously in the Kingdom, so our youth have become apathetic and uncreative.
In reality, Saudi young people will remain at risk until we promote arts, which
have been considered from the beginning of the creation of mankind as an
essential ingredient to help human nature settle down and live in peace,
stability and happiness.
In such an unhealthy environment,
why are we surprised to see terrorism in our society when our youth live such
painful lives where all doors of life are closed in their faces?
Rising unemployment,
restrictions, and a relative lack of freedom, coupled with ignoring this
problem, combine to feed terrorism. There is no question whatsoever that the
Saudi government is genuinely determined to fight terrorists who threaten the
Kingdom, but determination alone is not enough.
For those who love our
country, it is painful to see the unprecedented and extraordinary achievements
made by Saudi security forces to crush terrorists while the root causes of the
problem have not been dealt with in a coordinated, serious and pragmatic
manner. Unless we address this problem among our youth, we can expect more
extremism and radicalism within the Kingdom.
The solution is clear.
We must call upon our government officials and ourselves to address the
unemployment rate among young Saudis, re-shape the educational system to make
it comparable in quality to other developed nations, promote and not hinder the
arts, and open up our society without the constant monitoring of our youth by
self-appointed religious advocates. Only in these ways can we achieve a healthy
society that will give real freedom and opportunity to our young people.
— Dr. Khalid Alnowaiser
is a Saudi lawyer and columnist. He can be reached at: khalid@lfkan.com