Approximately ten years ago, a relative of mine, a mechanical/electrical engineer, told me that the Saudi government had leaned on those American oil companies to employ more Saudis, because the companies were not hiring the "locals".
He went on to say, they were mostly incompetent, but they were "working" with them.
Most of the supplies you speak of must come from Europe or America since Saudi or any country in the Arab world does not manufacture much in the line of the type of supplies they needed to drill for oil.
"Wages paid to local employees don't add to the "non-resource" economy? Sure they do."
As in an ancillary way. Their economy is tied to resource economy. Aside from that America or European companies did not invest in their economy, along high technology, as they have in Israel.
Prior to the oil embargo (1973?), Exxon was getting their oil for 25 cents a barrel. Not bad deal!
Almost as good as the deal I listened to yesterday at the Red Cross from a nurse who worked prior at a plasma center. They pay the donors there $20-25 per donation and sell the same for $2500. |
