Saudi Arabia will remove several key restrictions on foreign workers in an overhaul of the kingdom’s controversial labor policies, part of a plan to attract overseas talent and increase job market mobility. The new rules will come into effect on March 14 and apply to all foreign workers in the private sector, regardless of salary level, he said. The changes could have a dramatic effect on Saudi Arabia’s labor market and the lives of the 10.5 million foreign workers who make up about a third of the kingdom’s population. Some economists argue that the system also entrenches a practice of private employers hiring cheaper and more easily-controlled foreign workers who enjoy scant protections, even as Saudi unemployment rises. Currently, foreign workers are tied to an employment sponsor whose permission they need to move to another job, leave the country on vacation or even to replace a lost ID.

Source: Mint November 04, 2020 08:15 UTC