Manpower problems in a capital-rich country: the case of Saudi Arabia

"In order to provide an insight into the possible problems that face Saudi Arabia in its Fourth Five-Year Plan (1985-1990), this paper assesses several aspects of the manpower problems encountered in the Third Five-Year Plan (1980-1985). In general, it appears that the country's abundance of fixed capital, or at least the means to acquire it, only emphasizes the scarcity of other resources in the Kingdom, notably the shortage of indigenous labour and the absence of the skills required to run new industries.... The paper argues that it is apparent from the performance of the Third Plan that the Government will probably use the size of the foreign labour force as a safety valve to ensure the attainment of its priorities."