Workforce Localization in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: An Ontological Perspective

Nowadays there is an increasing interest in the localization of manpower in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council in general and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in particular to combat the unemployment rates that have been on the rise over the last ten years according to government reports. This study focuses on workforce localization in the context of Saudi Arabia. In this regard, it is noticeable that the progress towards the implementation of the localization policies in the KSA oftentimes faces challenges and obstacles. This article presents solutions that stimulate stakeholders (such as academicians, policy makers, employers and university students) to be engaged dialogically in promoting a new conceptual perception of what it means to localize manpower. The purpose of the article is twofold: First, it critically reviews progress Saudi Arabia has made towards workforce localization as presented in the literature by both policy reports and academic experiential research. Second, it presents a new ontologically-oriented hermeneutic reading of workforce localization in the KSA. The overall goal is to advance a hermeneutic dialogue among key stakeholders on what it means to localize Saudi workforce. The article brings about a new ontological insight of manpower localization that assists in developing employable national human resources.