The Ministry of Labor, in conjunction with private sector bodies, held a workshop here Monday on wage protection for expatriates, to improve the country's human rights image and attract foreign direct investment. Abdullah Bin Muhammad Al-Haqabani, Undersecretary of Planning and Development at the Ministry of Labor, who opened the event, said that the ministry was keen to benefit from the private sector's expertise on the subject. The ministry also wanted to explore issues related to the replacement of expatriates with Saudi citizens, creation of job opportunities for Saudi citizens and upgrading the academic and technical qualifications of Saudi youth. The workshop focused on tackling delays in paying monthly wages to expatriates in the private sector, Al-Haqabani pointed out. He said one of the goals of the workshop was to protect the rights of expatriates and ensure they do not face any undue legal problems. He said the workshop output would be used for future economic studies. The workshop's program can be used as a reference if a dispute arises between workers and employers. The program would improve the Kingdom's human rights image and its ability to attract foreign investment, he said.
