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Foreigners will no longer be allowed to work in Saudi Arabia's numerous shopping malls, the labour ministry announced on Thursday, in the latest measure to boost employment of Saudis.
The kingdom has intensified efforts to develop more jobs for its citizens under a wide-ranging drive that began last year to diversify the oil-dependent economy.
Known as Vision 2030, the plan calls for the development of non-oil industries, small and medium enterprises, and a broader investment base.
“The Minister of Labour and Social Development issues a decision restricting the work in malls across the kingdom to only Saudi men and women,” the ministry said on Twitter.
There were no further details on how or when the plan would be implemented.
It is the latest step aimed at boosting local employment in a country where expatriates do everything from cleaning the streets, to waiting on tables and providing management expertise.
About nine million foreigners worked in the kingdom at the end of 2015, according to latest official figures. Saudis have traditionally preferred jobs in the public sector, where hours are shorter and leave is longer, but the government is trying to cut its payroll.
It has for years offered incentives for companies to employ more Saudis and sanctioned those which did not meet targets.
Under new measures, the monthly fees paid by those who hire more foreign workers than Saudis will be increased, and in July the government plans to impose a levy on foreign workers with dependents, according to a government document seen by Bloomberg News.
In the third quarter of last year the unemployment rate for Saudi females was 34.5 per cent, compared with 5.7 per cent for Saudi males, figures cited by the firm Jadwa Investment showed.
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But how you will implement this new Law, when your own citizen have not approach to even basic level they are Royal and they did not want to do the job so why foreigner like Poor pakistanis suffer.
Time for filpino and indian workers to pack.
Good move. But question is will the royal saudi be willing to work?
too bad they could not just tell them to work and or make room for them!, if one cannot speak the language of the people of saudi arabia then why and how will there be relation between! cannot they prerequisit the speaking of arabic?
Most Saudi men are lazy. They need some fitness exercise !
Looks like Saudi Arabia is having more and more financial problems.
Yet another reason my Indian and Pakistani families to come together and open these borders and do business together reap the dividends and grow love the best healing energy. No brother of mine has to suffer in the harsh environment of a KSA and their treatment given by the Kafala system and Kafeel. Those of my brothers from IndoPak working in GCC and their families and friends knows far too well.
IndoPak Blood Brothers 4 Life!
Whenever Saudi issue new laws, they always back fires.
A big ship slowly sinking.
Their country, their rules.
@Marata Not just Pakistanis. I believe there are more Indians working jobs in Saudi Arabia than from any other country.
@Marata It is not easy to be implemented especially with current mind set of locals.
Something tells me the service level at Saudi Malls is about to drop significantly. Would these malls remain choice place of shopping for the customers? Will foreign brands operating in the malls be happy with this? This should be interesting to see.
I really look forward to seeing the Saudi men and women taking up menial jobs. Seeing will be believing it!
What kind of law is that? Always immigrants are in trouble.
While I have to congratulate the country's leaders for looking out for their own citizens first, anyone who has worked in the Middle East knows that the locals do not contribute as much as an expat worker does in any company. Unfortunately, decades of lifestyle on oil money has now led the younger generation of Middle East the feel entitled. Many jobs that an expat worker will gladly accept, seems "lowly" to a local worker. I wish Saudi Arabia all the best
They clearly don't appreciate many of the jobs are not customer facing, but involve back breaking toil or boredom e.g security, cleaning and logistics.
They have hopefully given a big boost to the non fossil fuel economy.
But who will teach Saudis "how to work?" Work is something "foreign" to Saudis, like foreign workers!"
Let's see how Saudis convert from entitled uneducated louts to professionals of any kind.
@IMTIAZ ALI KHAN
Sir, we must cooperate more but opening borders is not possible. Step by step we should improve relations.
Good, they have right to take steps in there own interest
@IMTIAZ ALI KHAN :- Agreed, SARC needs to be a free economic zone , with separate political identity . People should be allowed to move freely.
Saudi royal family members are lazeist people on planet earth . They will never work long hours .
This would affects immigrants from all .
@xyz -indian Right yaar come and meditate with my Sindhu dharti and let me come and visit my Fakir friend in Shridi and go see Ajmeri Sarakar, pray at Jal Mandir or beautiful Golden temple. Come on friends rise above.
Retail Jobs are low paid job. This speaks the volume of troubled Saudi economy.
A good move by KSA. But who will clean the bathrooms in the malls?
Its game of demand and supply. Saudies need to look their future and not of the Indians, Pakistanies and bengalies.we need to plan for our youth and look for new evenues like malaysia , korea , china , and not the gulf