Saudi Gazette report

ABHA —

King Khalid University in Abha has said it has 1,658 Saudi faculty members and more will be joining the university when they complete their post-doctoral studies abroad.

The university in Abha faced public criticism after a number of Saudi applicants took to the press to express the discrimination they faced when they applied for job positions at the university claiming the university was not supporting Saudi applicants.

A campaign by unemployed Saudis with PhD degrees was mounted against the university but the university defended its position by releasing a statement.

It explained that the university announced job vacancies through newspapers several times over the past year. Moreover, some of the positions referenced in the campaign statements were simply unavailable such as the Education College at undergraduate level. That department will be closed soon and only graduate studies will be available within the college.

The university also stated that it has standards to measure candidates. As long as the candidates meet the university’s standards they all have an equal chance of being hired.

A number of Saudi PhD students have already been employed by the university. The university will take in applicants depending on its needs, it said.