DAMMAM/JEDDAH: Labor Minister Adel Fakeih on Tuesday urged expatriates in the Kingdom not to press the panic button regarding reports about the six-year visa limitation issue.
Talking to Arab News at Asharqia Chamber, the minister said companies in the Kingdom will have until Sept. 7 to achieve a prescribed quota of Saudi employees.
Afterward they will fall under the Nitaqat policy that will put companies into three categories, of which one — the category of complying companies — will be able to recruit foreign workers from the other two categories, he said.
He also mentioned that there is a platinum category for companies that have exceptional track records in employing Saudis.
The minister’s clarification comes a day after newspapers quoted him as saying that all expatriate workers will have a six-year cap on their work visas.
His statement on Tuesday clears the air that there is nothing to worry for the expatriates: the six-year cap applies only to workers in the categories of companies that are not in compliance under Nitaqat.
Furthermore, those workers will be able to be recruited by complying companies, which do not have the six-year cap.
Categories: Asia, Human Rights, Law, Middle East, Saudi Arabia
very bad..i m from pakistan but after reding articles about this news i was shocked..coz my father is also serving saudia arabia since last 16 years..could you people plz tell me what are the rules for the persons doing there work by themselves in their homes or in different workshops.will this rule also applied for these people as well who are a small level workers in the workshops??????
I think the whole ‘rule’ has not yet been ‘thought through’ and once they will try to implement it they will see that it is not that simple. Of course your father will be well advised to keep himself informed locally.