Manama: A Saudi national is suing the education ministry after it refused to appoint him as a teacher on the grounds that "he was too short and could not stand for a long time".
The civil service ministry did not rule out people with handicaps from taking up academic positions, Abdul Lateef Matar Al Harbi argued in his case, Saudi daily Al Watan reported on Sunday.
The candidate said that he had passed all tests and standards and that he should have been given the position.
The ministry however said that the standards stipulated that applicants who were impaired or had a handicap also needed to pass a medical test.
According to the ministry, the commission, made up of two doctors and an educator, ruled that the applicant should not be recruited on the grounds that he was remarkably short, could not stand for a long time and was short-sighted.
Abdul Lateef has one daughter and one son, the daily said, but did not give his height.
