Die Ministerien für den öffentlichen Dienst und die Höhere Bildung in Saudi-Arabien wollen ältere ausländische Professoren, die an saudischen Universitäten unterrichten, durch arbeitslose und qualifizierte Saudis ersetzen.
The Ministries of Civil Service and Higher Education are insisting that expatriates working in Saudi universities should be replaced by unemployed and qualified Saudi candidates.Overage expatriate professors may lose jobs
According to figures provided by the Ministry of Civil Service, there are 14,915 expatriates working in higher education, where most of them are employed as professors, assistant professors and lecturers.
Information technology, English language and various disciplines of science and engineering also have considerable number of expatriates in faculty positions who are recruited by universities on annual contract basis.
The expatriates will gradually be replaced by Saudis who have completed their higher studies through King Abdullah Scholarship scheme.
Sources in different universities told Arab News that in the first phase contracts of academics in the grade of professor over a certain age will be not renewed.
Although according to Saudi norms that age limit is 60 years yet the limit is relaxed in most cases, depending upon requirement of universities. There are a significant number of expatriates who are above 60 years of age but continuing to work in universities.
However, the Ministry of Higher Education has recently issued instructions to universities not to renew the contract of expatriate professors who have crossed the age limit. In some cases relaxation is being granted - 70 years for professor rank, 65 years for associate professor rank and 63 years for lecturer and other ranks.
In exceptional cases, a contract can be extended only up to one academic year by the minister of higher education on request from the concerned university which has to justify the requirement of expatriate faculty.
Prof. Azhar Ansari, who is above 70 years of age, hailing from Pakistan and working as professor of physics in King Abdulaziz University, said that he was informed that his contract will not be renewed due to his advanced age.
Sources said that apart from age, other factors are also taken into consideration for renewal of contract, like availability of local qualified candidates.
At university teaching hospitals, expatriate faculty contracts depend upon willingness of Saudi qualified faculty.