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Growing global international travel has reflected significantly on the number of imported cases of malaria into non endemic regions of the world inclusive of Saudi Arabia were transmission of the disease is significantly controlled. This success in control could be challenged by the influx of imported cases of the disease. This research looks at the genetic diversity in merozoite proteins 1 and 2 (msp 1 and msp 2) of Plasmodium falciparum gene in imported malaria cases. Blood samples collected by pathology department were preserved as dried blood spot on WhatmanTM 903TM Protein saver card. Extraction of genomic DNA was with Qiagen QIAamp DNA kit Using primary and secondary nested PCR, Plasmodium species were classified with targeted primers. The nucleotides of KI, MAD20, RO33 msp 1 and 3D7, FC27 msp 2 of P. falciparum gene were sequenced by Macrogen (South Korea) and analyzed with BioEdit version 7 software. Frequencies of distribution of msp 1 and msp 2 allelic families varied, with statistically significant differences (p-value 0.001). Mono and poly clonal infections were also encountered. Clonal fragment sizes ranged between low (110 bp) to high (625 bp). Sequence analysis showed genetic diversity in imported malaria cases in the present study, indicating that current control measures might not be adequate to maintain the status quo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nationals face enormous difficulty getting jobs in the GCC labor markets due to the fact that these markets are saturated with huge numbers of expatriate workers whose acceptance of very low wages compel private sector to cling to their employment and be more resistant to localization efforts. In this study, we have shown that localization can be stimulated through recycling of expatriates' employment fees to private sector in the form of a subsidy paid to businesses for each national employed, provided that monthly salary exceed certain threshold. In Saudi Arabia, for example, we propose a minimum monthly salary of four thousands Saudi Riyals, inclusive of all benefits. As a result, business owners will not be burden with full cost of employing nationals enhancing their competitiveness in labor market. Moreover nationals being paid relatively reasonable wage would be more encouraged to seek jobs in private sector and be motivated to fallow a more stable employment pattern. Consequently, private sector would embrace localization efforts voluntarily rather than being coerce, and would not have the incentive to evade and circumvent such efforts. In addition, continuous rise in the cost of employing expatriate workers will gradually force private sector to adopt a business model that is more capital intensive, therefore labor productivity and percentage of high-skill and high-wage jobs would continue to rise and expand employment opportunities for nationals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]