Saudi king offers more permanent state jobs for Saudis

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has ordered that state employees on temporary labor contracts be given permanent jobs, in another apparent bid to insulate the kingdom from a wave of protests in the Arab world.

The top oil exporter has so far escaped major protests against poverty, corruption and oppression that have spread through the region, toppling entrenched leaders in Egypt and Tunisia and reaching neighbors Bahrain and Oman.

King Abdullah returned home on Wednesday from three months of medical treatment abroad for back treatment and unveiled benefits for Saudis worth around $36 billion to address social pressures such as unemployment and housing.

On Sunday, the king also ordered all Saudi nationals in temporary public sector jobs be given permanent employment, state news agency SPA said.

SPA gave no details but Banque Saudi Fransi Chief Economist John Sfakianakis said some 90,000 would benefit.

Saudi stability is of global concern. A key U.S. ally, the top OPEC producer holds more than a fifth of world oil reserves.

Part of the king's handouts will go to new funds to help Saudis to get housing loans, a pressing issue for the Gulf Arab state's rising local population of 18 million.

"We are looking into two new initiatives... to facilitate obtaining credit," Finance Minister Ibrahim Assaf told Al Arabiya channel.

"The citizen can go to the banks and tap a special fund. This makes it possible for the banks to give more credit and decrease the costs for the citizens," Assaf said.

Saudi Arabia has been considering a mortgage bill for many years but Saudi analysts see no fix for the housing issue unless the king addresses the extent of land which is owned by royals.

Saudi Arabia has pledged to spend $400 billion until 2013 to upgrade its infrastructure and has launched a plan to build five economic and industrial cities to create new jobs.

But Sfakianakis said the king's order to enlarge the pool of permanent Saudi state employees would not help government plans to encourage more Saudis to work for the private sector.

"Enlarging the public sector is not going to help shift away from the public sector mind set. It does try to include more people under the umbrella of the state but the labour structure is not changing," he said.