http://arabnews.com/saudiarabia/article27643.ece
Women with non-Saudi dads not first choice in job market By LAURA BASHRAHEEL | ARAB NEWS Published: Mar 9, 2010 00:37 Updated: Mar 9, 2010 00:37 JEDDAH: Women born to Saudi mothers and non-Saudi fathers are complaining that they are being discriminated against. Despite being an integral part of society just like any other Saudi women, the dilemmas they face when finding a job or being treated equally are far from being resolved. Reem Mohammed, a 27-year-old university graduate with a degree in finance from a private college, cannot find a job anywhere because she does not have a Saudi father. She was born to an Egyptian father and Saudi mother. However, she has been living in the Kingdom since she was born. She has been to Egypt only a couple of times for summer vacations, not to see family. The only family she has ever known is her mother's relatives in Jeddah. She had not faced any difficulties regarding her nationality until she graduated from high school. Reem found an opportunity to study at a private college after many of them opened in Jeddah. "I studied finance, which can lead to a lucrative career," she said. "The college at the time didn't tell me that I might face problems with me being non-Saudi. They also didn't tell me that finance departments in various banks only recruit Saudis," she added. However, the college did not help provide her with either a job or the training required after she graduated. "I only completed the training required for my graduation thanks to the wasta (connections) my father had with banks," she said. "I graduated with a 4.3 out of 5 GPA and after I was done with my training in the bank, the manager told me he would have taken me as a full time employee but couldn't because I was not Saudi, even though my mother is." Reem described her situation as a "hopeless case" with no solution. She also added that the bank has non-Saudi employees working there through wasta. "I studied finance because I love it and working as a sales person is not what I aim for," she added, saying that she worked in a shop for a couple of months and then left because she hated the job. Reem sent her resume to almost every bank in Jeddah but with no luck. "I went to an interview once with my friend. They didn't call me for the interview, they called my friend even though we sent out our CVs together," she said, adding that she was finally interviewed after begging the bank. "The interview went great. His reactions to my answers indicated that I was perfect for the job until I commented that I knew it was a problem not being Saudi, but that I don't give up easily. He then looked at my details again and said it was not a problem. He never called me again but offered the job to my friend who refused to take it," she said. Reem applied for Saudi citizenship but her application was rejected. The civil office worker told her that if she did not marry until she was 30 and continued on living here, then she might receive the change in nationality. In addition, she is technically neither a Saudi nor Egyptian. She has been stripped of her rights as an Egyptian because she never lived there and she has been stripped of her rights here because she only has a Saudi mother. "Now I am thinking of going to Egypt to work there for a couple of years to get some experience and then come back to Saudi Arabia. Maybe if I do that I might be employed somewhere where they employ non-Saudis and pay high salaries," she said. Ali Al-Ghamdi, a manager at the Civil Affairs Department in Jeddah, said that those who want to obtain Saudi nationality should normally apply at 18. "Usually the paperwork could take up to four years. We only receive the applications and then send them to the Ministry of the Interior," he explained. However, it is not possible for women who are born to Saudi mothers and non-Saudi fathers to apply for Saudi nationality. Women can only have a card that enables them to be treated as a Saudi, which could take a few years. On the other hand, men in the same situation can claim Saudi nationality after completing much paperwork and procedures. Nadia Arshad, a 22-year-old human resources graduate, has been having the same difficulties finding a job. She was born to a Saudi mother and a Pakistani father. Although she was born in Makkah and lived all her life in Jeddah, it has been difficult for her as a woman to obtain Saudi nationality, unlike her three brothers. "My three brothers are Saudi nationals now and have good jobs. As for me, every time I do not get a job after an interview or receive a phone call from a company explaining why they cannot give me the job, it is because I am not Saudi," Arshad said. Arshad tried to obtain Saudi nationality but said that there are too many requirements she has to fulfill. One of them is that she has to be married to a Saudi. "It's not easy to go and find myself a Saudi husband," she added, saying that she has few options left now. Arshad believes that it is not fair for her to live this way just because she is a woman. Suhaila Zain Al-Abidin, a human rights activist for the National Society for Human Rights, said that women and men should be treated equally when it comes to citizenship. "We are calling for amendments in citizenship regulations and equality," she said. Al-Abidin explained that girls born to Saudi mothers have Iqamas under their mothers' names. Therefore, they are not allowed to work due to their Iqama status. "The job market is bad for both Saudi and non-Saudi women nowadays," she added. However, she also said that women should be able to obtain citizenship the same way as men when they are 18.
