Gulf States Try to Steer Jobs to Citizens

Young men walk through a shopping mall in Muscat, the capital of Oman. In that country, "Omanization squads" confront employers that hire foreigners. (By Ellen Knickmeyer -- The Washington Post)
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The wonder of it struck him still. "It was really heartwarming, to go to a restaurant and see someone like you, a familiar face," Omran said.

Yousuf, at the Dubai center, welcomed the emerging work ethic but said a better education system would equip young Gulf men and women for more skilled positions.

At the coffee shop in Muscat, Oman's capital, Jadeja flipped through the country's labor code in his cubbyhole of an office. He cited legal codes allowing Omanis generous leaves for studies, pilgrimages, funerals and other benefits.

Jadeja complained about a hiring quota that he said was compelling some employers to give young Omanis paychecks to stay home, just to have them on the payroll.

Behind the coffee shop's front counter, Rashdi bin Mohammed, a 21-year-old Omani, spoke sadly of trading his dream of becoming a pilot for a job serving lattes.

Bin Mohammed rejected the only public-sector jobs -- policeman or soldier -- he said were available to him as an Omani without "wasta," or connections. He said he shrugged off the looks and comments from friends who would rather keep accepting money from their parents than take an entry-level job.

"They just don't have the will to strive, to better themselves," he said.

Correspondent Faiza Saleh Ambah in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, contributed to this report.