Strict measures to be taken against illegal visa traders

February 10, 2013

Adel-Fakeih

Jeddah, Feb 10: The Ministry of Labor has stepped up its efforts to contain the menace of illegal visa trading in the Kingdom with the help of foreign consultancy companies.

“The ministry is currently seeking the cooperation of international consultancy companies to conduct field studies on the labor contracting systems in seven major labor supplying countries,” Minister of Labor Adel Al-Fakeih said in a statement to a local newspaper.

The ministry does not want any loopholes or ambiguity in the laws that could be exploited for illegal recruitment practices, the minister added.

The ministry has banned all kinds of activities that could lead to trading in manpower including selling visas, taking money to facilitate entry or exit visas, getting iqamas or labor permits.

“Those who engage in illegal visa trading will not be allowed to import labor for a duration of five years and those who repeat the violation will never be issued a visa for labor recruitment again,” Fakeih said.

The ministry is also taking steps to ensure maximum transparency in matters pertaining to issuing visas and recruiting foreign labor. One such step the ministry is taking includes setting up a portal, in which contracting parties and embassies can track the processing of a labor visa from the moment it is issued until the completion of the contract agreement with workers, including the salary agreement upon.

“Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has approved the appointment of 1,000 additional inspectors in the ministry. The Interior Ministry is collaborating with the Labor Ministry to set up a committee to halt the illegal trade of foreign workers. Saudization committees will also be reactivated for the same purpose. All these efforts will produce remarkable results in ending the illegal trade in the near future,” the minister added.

He said regulations such as the ones designed to curb commercial cover-ups and to limit the remittance of expatriate workers to the salaries stated in their contracts, aim to reduce the drain on the national economy.

Affirming the success of the ministry in providing employment opportunities for the Saudi youth the minister said, “The Nitaqat program has succeeded in employing 514,659 young men and women since it was implemented in June 2011.”

The country’s statistical department revealed that unemployment among men fell to 6.1 percent in 2012.

In addition, the minister highlighted that measures have been taken to prevent any kind of foul play in the implementation of the Nitaqat program. These measures include the ministry’s insistence that the lowest salary for a Saudi should be SR 3,000 and a student employed in the private sector would not be considered as a full employee.

The minister also stressed the ministry’s determination to continue its efforts to find more employment opportunities for women in the private sector.

“There is no turning back on the policy to employ women. We are striving to rectify mistakes and are striving to ensure that regulations are soundly implementation. The government’s orders and regulations are in line with Shariah law,” the minister said in response to objections from some members of the community about employing women.

The minister also affirmed the ministry’s strong stand against any criticism with regards to the recently introduced expatriate levy. He pointed out that the levy will not harm the private sector, but rather aims to regulate and improve the labor market.

“There are many countries that raise the cost of employing foreign workers in order to protect the local workforce. The labor levy in some countries is 10 times higher than the monthly SR 200 in the Kingdom,” he said justifying the ministry’s decision.

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News Network
July 10,2020

Dubai, Jul 10: Saudi Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan has appointed Dina Amin as CEO of the Visual Arts Commission.

She will take the lead in implementing the ministry’s vision and directions in promoting and developing visual arts in the Kingdom and empowering practitioners in the field.

Amin is a leading Saudi specialist in visual arts and the international contemporary art field. She gained a bachelor’s degree in art history and architecture from Wellesley College, in the US, and also attended a collaborative program in architecture at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

During her career, spanning more than two decades, she has held senior positions in prominent international arts companies, including most recently Phillips, a global auction house for art, design, watches, jewels, and more.

She has also worked at Christie’s, one of the world’s most famous auction houses, employed in senior roles at the company’s international offices including New York, Dubai, and London.

The Visual Arts Commission is one of 11 new cultural bodies recently launched by the Ministry of Culture in line with the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan to manage the empowerment and development of the Kingdom’s cultural sector. The commission will be responsible for managing and developing the visual arts sector to help achieve the ministry’s goals.

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News Network
April 25,2020

Apr 25: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday spoke to his counterparts from Qatar, the UAE, Niger, Palestine and Czech Republic and held discussions around the coronavirus infection.

In conversation with Qatar Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Jaishankar discussed their experience of dealing with coronavirus infection and also thanked him for taking care of the Indian community.

"A cordial conversation with FM @MBA_AlThani_ of #Qatar. Discussed our #coronavirus experiences. Thanked him for taking care of the Indian community. Such challenging times will only further strengthen our friendship," he said in a tweet.

Jaishankar also spoke to United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.

"Pandemics further highlight the need for international cooperation. Few better examples than our relationship with #UAE. Applaud the generosity of spirit and clarity of policy that has characterised its approach. Thank HH @ABZayed for the warm conversation today," he said in another tweet.

Jaishankar also spoke to Niger Foreign Minister Kalla Ankourao and assured him of India's support in meeting the coronavirus challenge, including medicines.

"Just spoke with FM @kallaankourao of #Niger. Assured him of India's support in meeting the #coronavirus challenge, including medicines. Discussed its global implications in the context of the United Nations," he tweeted.

Jaishankar also discussed the coronavirus situation with Palestine Foreign Minister Riad Al Malki. "Welcomed speaking with FM Riad Al Malki of #Palestine. Discussed the #coronavirus situation. Assured him of Indian medical assistance," he said in a tweet.

He also exchanged experiences on coronavirus response with Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek.

The minister said the two leaders agreed that there are valuable lessons for international cooperation.

"Glad to catch up with FM @TPetricek of #CzechRepublic. Exchanged our experiences on #coronavirus response. Agreed that there are valuable lessons for international cooperation. Look forward to keeping in touch," he said in a tweet.

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News Network
May 5,2020

Dubai, May 5: A Saudi ministerial decision issued on Monday allows companies in the private sector to reduce salaries by 40 per cent and allows termination of contracts owing to the economic hardships resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to daily newspaper Al Sharq Awsat.

The new decision was still not published by the cabinet according to the newspaper.

The decision which the newspaper saw a copy of was signed by Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to regulate the labour contract in the current period, allows employers to reduce the employees salaries by 40 percent of the actual effective wage for a period of 6 months, in proportion to the hours of work and allowing the termination of employee contract after 6 months of the COVID-19 circumstances.

The new decision has also included a provision in which the employer would be allowed to cut wages even he or she benefits from the subsidy provided by the goverment, such as those for helping pay workers wages or exemption from government fees.

The decision also stressed that employers are not allowed to terminate any employee, unless three conditions are met.

1.            First the passing of six months since the measures of salary cut has been taken

2.            Reducing pay, annual leave and exceptional leave were all used

3.            Company proves that its facing financial troubles due to the circumstances.

The memo, which goes into affect as soon as its published in the government’s official newspaper, ensures that the employee will receive his/her salary if on annual leave within the period of 6 months.

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