After the economic crises during the past years since Mohamed bin Salman assumed the mandate of the covenant, Saudi Arabia has been trying to recover by adopting a cooperation approach with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, following the rift it caused by imposing a blockade on the State of Qatar, in addition to the dispute that occurred between Saudi Arabia and the UAE over oil production quotas, as Saudi Arabia announced the exclusion of preferential tariff for imported goods produced by companies operating in the Gulf states, whose local workforce does not reach 25%.
Analysts believe that the Saudi decision is not aimed at ascertaining the value of the job force, but rather is aimed at limiting the imports of goods that come from the Emirates to their markets, as citizens represent a small percentage of the workforce in private sector companies. However, the Saudi political researcher Salman Al-Ansari said that the decision is legal, and is in the interest of the region, as it would help local companies “compete in a fair manner,” adding “This decision has been long overdue, but it is never too late to correct the course, as this will encourage international companies in the GCC to hire more locals.”
Report on Arbitrary Judiciary
A report of Al-Monitor stated that the decisions taken by Saudi Arabia may be logical in a country that is not characterized by repression, the unstable judiciary, and its subordination to the ruler, such as Saudi Arabia since any international company would want to invest its money in a country with legal guarantees, which is not available in Saudi Arabia.
If any company encounters a problem, it would face a corrupt judicial system that rules in favour of the other, especially since international companies cannot work in Saudi Arabia without the partnership of a Saudi citizen, who is often a prince if not Mohammed bin Salman himself, so how would the judiciary rule against him?
The report also said that the change in attitudes is noticeable among the citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, who like to work according to the policy on which they were raised and grew up many years ago.
All these facts confirm that the economic policies of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are unstudied and superficial public policies, causing successive losses every day in Saudi Arabia.
