Saudi Youth Resort to Social Media to Complain about Widespread Unemployment

Rasa - A hashtag began to be widely shared by the youth in Saudi Arabia, after a video went viral showing a teacher telling students they would never find a job, regardless of their abilities.

News ID: 433245

Date: 19 October 2017 - 18:52

RNA - With prospects of employment getting ever dimmer for Saudi youth, many students have taken to social media to express apathy and frustration about their supposed no-existent career prospects, New Arab reported.

An Arabic-language hashtag translating to "whether you study or not there are no jobs" is trending in the kingdom, as young Saudis try to add some humour to a dire situation.

The hashtag was sparked by a video of a teacher in Saudi Arabia telling school children that they will never find a job regardless of how hard they study.

The comments reflects the bleak economic situation in Saudi Arabia, which has been a topic of concern among social media users.

Earlier this month, a Saudi put one of his kidneys up for sale on social media for half a million riyals ($133,000), highlighting the economic woes felt by many in the oil-rich kingdom.

Mosleh bin Mohammed, from the coastal city of Jeddah, made the announcement in a video shared widely on Twitter this week.

"I am offering my kidney for sale and I am from a prominent tribe that knows me well," bin Mohammed said.

"People can say whatever they want but I am offering it for 500,000 riyals," he added, before noting his blood type and contact details.

Saudi Arabia has witnessed a sharp economic decline after oil prices plummeted in 2014. Efforts have been made to diversify the economy and stimulate the private sector but with little success.

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