Saudi Minister of Labor Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi on Monday signed a contract with a national company for processing the Ministry's transactions electronically. The signing was attended by Dr. Abdulwahed Al-Homaid, Acting Minister of Labor, who said the electronic transactions project is part of the E-Government Program. The project will be implemented over a 10-month period and will cost a total of SR 22,588,687. The service will be launched in 10 months. Homaid added that the project aims at providing a number of services electronically, including recruitment services, and creating job opportunities for Saudi citizens seeking employment in the private sector. The services are provided through the Ministry's portal and allow for the posting of job vacancies, employment of candidates, applying for jobs and following up on applications electronically, as well as for an accurate estimate of the numbers of the unemployed. Other electronically provided services include application for and renewal of work permits for expatriate workers through the electronic portal without need to follow up with the labor office, as well as notifying establishments of comments in the case of non-renewal of permits. Recruitment of foreign labor will also be provided online through the e-portal without need to visit the Labor Office. All recruitment procedures will be carried out electronically until the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is advised that recruitment has been approved and ascertaining that the company effectively needs foreign workers and that its file is clean and free of violations. Transfer of sponsorships may also be done electronically through the e-portal and not the Labor Office. Other services featured include amendment of job titles and status for expatriate labor electronically. The lawsuit service allows follow up on lawsuits, access to information on the schedules and outcome of hearings as well as notifying litigants of hearings' dates by SMS. In another vein, the Ministry of Labor will launch in the two coming weeks a large scale project for thorough professional vetting of all seven million expatriates currently employed in the Kingdom, as stated to Arabic daily Al-Madina by Dr. Fahd Al-Tuwaijri, Vice Governor of the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training. Tuwaijri added that the project is aimed at identifying the professional qualifications of expatriate workers and the extent to which they can master professional skills. Expatriates' qualifications will be examined prior to their coming to the Kingdom. Those who do not possess the minimum professional requirements will be deported and replaced with young Saudis in coordination with the private sector. Professional examination centers will be established in a number of Kingdom cities and areas in coordination with private institutions. Tuwaijri indicated that Gosaibi would announce all details of this system within the few coming weeks in a press conference. The system will be activated soon, according to Tuwaijri and will help to bring down the large numbers of untrained and unqualified expatriate workers and will offer qualified young Saudis the opportunity to replace them.
