December 12, 2002	Thursday	Shawwal 7, 1423

RIYADH, Dec 11: The Saudi Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs is studying a proposal to conduct professional tests for foreign workers before issuing them visas to work in the kingdom, the daily Al-Watan said quoting an official source at the ministry.

Some of the professionals such as doctors and pharmacists are currently required by Saudi regulations to take a proficiency test, before grant of a license to practice in the kingdom. However, until now this registration test was taken only once the candidate was in the kingdom. Further this clause applied to health professionals only. Now it seems most of the professionals will have to undergo these tests.

“Visas will be issued to a foreign worker only after making sure that he is skilled and experienced in the trade he is recruited for,” the source was quoted by Al-Watan as saying.

As per the recommendations, a special office will begin operating in Saudi missions abroad to conduct the test. The interested candidate would be required to take an oral and practical test before the visa is issued to them.

An official of the General Organisation of the Technical Education and Vocational Training told the local press that the ‘move aims at ending the indiscriminate labour recruitment from foreign countries and guaranteeing that the workers are fully qualified for the job for which they are selected.’

The test papers will be evaluated by experts from a related university department or technical institute in the kingdom. Visas will be issued to those who would ultimately qualify both, the written and the oral tests, said the recommendation.

According to some estimates, some 94 per cent of the six million expatriate workforce in the kingdom does not fulfil the work specifications for the trades they are handling.

The move will compel the foreign workers desirous of coming over to the kingdom to acquire proper job training, the senior official of the Organisation for Technical Education and Vocational Training added.