RIYADH — As the deadline for implementing 50 percent Saudization in mobile phone sales outlets and maintenance shops was over on Monday, the first day of Ramadan, the Ministry of Commerce and Investment, in cooperation with other ministries and agencies, have started massive crackdown on violators across the Kingdom. The ministry warned that stringent punitive measures will be taken against the violators who are caught during the raids being carried out together with the ministries of labor and social development, communications and information technology, and municipal and rural affairs, as well as other agencies and security forces. The ministry urged owners of shops and wholesale businessmen in the communications sector to extend cooperation to Saudis who want to make investments in the mobile sales and maintenance sector in line with the decision of Saudization. "If any of these owners or wholesalers refuses to sell products to Saudi investors, they shall face penal action such as SR5,000 in fine and closure of shop for one week in the event of repeating the violation." The ministry also warned that stringent penalties will be slapped against those who try to continue engaging cover up business in this sector. "Penalties, including up to two years in prison and fines amounting to a maximum of SR1 million, will be imposed on the violators. Deportation of expatriates, naming and shaming in local newspapers at their expense, closure of shops, revoking commercial license, and ban on engaging in the same commercial activity for five years are other punitive measures, which will be taken against the violators," the Saudi Press Agency reported quoting the ministry's statement. Nearly 20,000 young Saudis, including more than 4,000 women, have completed their preparations to take up jobs in mobile phone sales outlets and maintenance shops. The candidates have been provided with intensive training by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and that was with the financial support of the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF). The ministry started implementing the new Saudization drive from March 10, and by this program all mobile sales and maintenance shops have to replace 50 percent of foreign workers with Saudi men and women within three months, beginning Ramadan and 100 percent within six months, starting from Sept. 3 this year.
