Saudi Arabia bans foreigners from 12 occupations |
Saudi Arabia will ban foreigners from 12 activities and occupations in order to provide more jobs to its citizens, a move that is likely to affect a large number of workers from India and other South Asian countries. Labour and social development minister Ali Al-Ghafees issued a directive in Jan 2018 barring expatriates from certain jobs from the next Hijri year under the Islamic calendar that begins on September 11. Expatriates will be banned from outlets selling watches, eyeglasses, medical equipment, electrical appliances and electronics, car spare parts, building materials, carpets, automobiles and motorcycles, furniture and ready-made office materials, ready-made garments, children`s clothes and men`s wear, household utensils and pastries. The ban will be rolled out in three phases between September this year and January 2019. The order will “enable (Saudi) citizens to work and raise their participation rates in the private sector. The move is being seen as the sweeping changes being made by the ambitious crown prince Mohammed bin Salman to revamp the Saudi economy and reduce its dependence on oil revenues.
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