Saudi Ministry finalising new labour regulations

The Saudi Ministry of Labour is putting the final touches on a set of regulations that aim to protect the rights of foreign workers as well as regulate their stay in the country, according to well-informed sources. Among the changes will be a better organised system for recruitment, laws to enforce salary payment, mandatory health insurance and a multi-lingual call centre to field complaints of foreigners working the country, the sources told Gulf News. The ministry reiterated its commitment to regulating the labour market and said it aims to give Saudis more access to the job market. Saudis represent only 10 per cent of the total workforce in the Kingdom. More than two million visas were issued last year for foreign workers, according to the ministry. Last month, Labour Minister Adel Fakih announced a new programme of Saudisation under which private companies would be classified into green, yellow and red categories according to successful they were to implement the Saudisation programme. From / Gulf News