21 May 2013
Twenty percent of Saudi firms are still in the red zone two years after the implementation of Nitaqat program, said Ahmed Al-Hemaidan, undersecretary at the Ministry of Labor, stressing the fact that they are bound to move to the green zone once penalties are imposed on them.
Al-Hemaidan explained that the ministerial committee that was tasked with the Saudization of employment and maintenance contracts at government bodies is still considering ways to further exploit the job market to employ more Saudis.
"All issues will be taken into consideration, as well as improving the process itself to yield positive results for Saudi citizens and firms," he added.
The Shoura Council approved last October a project to nationalize employment and maintain public utilities, unless a Saudi national is not available to do the job.
The draft of the project stipulated that any employer in the sector should employ a Saudi national when recruiting non-Saudi in a job that requires a special technical skill, so that the Saudi can acquire the know-how necessary to do the job.
Other details of the project include developing a list of the jobs that cannot be Saudized in the sector, which is to be updated regularly. The employer should in this case submit a timeframe for the eventual Saudization of these jobs.
Twenty percent of Saudi firms are still in the red zone two years after the implementation of Nitaqat program, said Ahmed Al-Hemaidan, undersecretary at the Ministry of Labor, stressing the fact that they are bound to move to the green zone once penalties are imposed on them.
Al-Hemaidan explained that the ministerial committee that was tasked with the Saudization of employment and maintenance contracts at government bodies is still considering ways to further exploit the job market to employ more Saudis.
"All issues will be taken into consideration, as well as improving the process itself to yield positive results for Saudi citizens and firms," he added.
The Shoura Council approved last October a project to nationalize employment and maintain public utilities, unless a Saudi national is not available to do the job.
The draft of the project stipulated that any employer in the sector should employ a Saudi national when recruiting non-Saudi in a job that requires a special technical skill, so that the Saudi can acquire the know-how necessary to do the job.
Other details of the project include developing a list of the jobs that cannot be Saudized in the sector, which is to be updated regularly. The employer should in this case submit a timeframe for the eventual Saudization of these jobs.
© Arab News 2013
