300,000 Saudi Graduates Jobless

Riyadh, 8 Jumadal Awal 1437/February 18, 2016 (MINA) – Of the 1.5 million unemployed Saudis 300,000 hold bachelor degrees, according to a report issued by the Labor Ministry.

About 130,000 Saudis graduate every year further complicating the Kingdom’s unemployment situation, Saudi Gazette Thursday reported.

Riyadh region accounts for the largest number of job-seeking graduates (64,000) followed by Makkah region with 58,000 while Najran region has the lowest number of jobless graduates (5,000).

During the past five Hijri years from 1431H to 1435H, about 500,000 Saudi men and women have graduated obtaining degrees in various specializations. In 1431H, the number of graduates was 85,523 which increased annually by 12.2 percent to reach 133,833 in 1435H.

Graduates represent 70 percent of all levels of higher education, the report said, adding that women represented the highest number among graduates and postgraduates.

According to the report, 43 universities in the Kingdom and their branches received 326,855 students during the last academic year (2014-15) for bachelor degree courses.

Social sciences, business studies and law courses came second with 39,842 graduates while engineering courses held sixth position with 5,947 graduates in 1435H.

The number of students enrolled for bachelor degree courses during the last academic year stood at 1.28 million with women accounting for 662,000 showing 71 percent increase compared to 1431H.

Riyadh region has the largest number of universities (13) against a population of 6.7 million, followed by Makkah region nine universities with a population of 6.9 million, and Eastern Province eight universities with 4.1 million population, the report said.

Asir with a population of 1.8 million has two universities, so has Tabuk which has a population of 750,000.

The remaining regions have a single university each with Najran having a population of 1.35 million and Qassim 1.2 million, Al-Hayat Arabic daily said quoting the report. (T/P4/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)

http://saudigazette.com.sa/saudi-arabia/300000-saudi-graduates-jobless/