I AGREE there is unemployment. But we cannot always blame the government for it. The fact is: Many Saudis are spoilt! The government has given them every opportunity, including education, yet they choose to be lazy. This is what my first hand experience tells. What these spoilt people do discourages even the hard workers from achieving anything at all.

When the Saudi government notices a sincere effort that is beneficial to the people, it encourages it. The government goes out of its way to make things easy for such people. The government did such for me. And, I am not even a Saudi yet. Why would the government not do such for the country’s own boys and girls? Government policy is a result of our actions. Our actions should not be such that they result in the making of bad policies. Keep that in mind. Yes, a regulation can change for the better just because of a single person. It has happened before. So try to be that person.

With the help of Allah, I built businesses in both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia from scratch. I had no money, no support, no nothing at all. I have come across all those “impossible” situations people complain about. I lived through them and overcame them. No great task, I assure you, nor do I seek praise for it. All praise is only for Allah. But I mention this so that no one comes to me and says, ‘Well, you did not experience what I did.’

I know a young Saudi man who I met 5 years ago in Riyadh. He complained about his low salaried job, Saudi restrictions, and all that usual rhetoric. I saw in his eyes a desire to do something. I felt he had the mind to overcome all of this. So I asked him: “Do you promise to do as I say? If you do as I say, you will be out of your issues?” He agreed.

I gave him a list of dos and don’ts. I did not see him for 5 years after that. I met him recently. He now owns one of the fastest growing businesses in Saudi Arabia. He was smiling when we met me and he reminded me of the talk we had 5 years ago. This is a young Saudi! His friends, who were complaining like him 5 years ago, are still complaining. Yes, still complaining, playing cards and chasing women.

Muslims: Stop expecting from your governments. Stop seeking help from those in power. They are here to protect the country and its borders, not to feed you. Work on ideas and simple projects. Get rid of that I-am-the-General-Manager ego. Fold your sleeves and get to work. End the social status game. Stop taking loans. Easy money will degenerate your mind. Money is a means. Work is essential. So, start thinking. Seek only from Allah and learn His requirements in the Qur’an. That is the wisdom you must live by. If you do not, then you will live only in despair.

Sometimes you need to work for free. Yes, do it. Sometimes, you may just have to take the broom and start cleaning your doorway and even the area around you for free. You have to do this to make a point that you will not sit idle and just blame and make excuses for your laziness. Get up and move.

Stop playing the victim. Saudis are trapped into thinking that expatriate work forces are taking over. Stop this nonsense. See things as they are. Do not live in illusions.

This land has every resource needed to build anything. But you need a mind that is free of negativity. Blaming only breeds negativity in the mind. And negativity removes positive ideas in your mind. Belief is then corrupted and the actions that follow are often wrong. Perhaps we were not taught about the art of thinking and being consistent in our belief.

Unemployment is something we talk of all the time. I have written many articles about what new government policies are needed to reduce that rate. Laws on sponsorship, visas and other areas need to be fixed. But the other side of it is: No matter what the government does, it cannot remove laziness from people who are unwilling to do it themselves!