Saleh Al-Zahrani Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – The Ministry of Labor has issued a final decision on the ongoing debate on allowing dependents of foreigners to work. It confirmed that the decision includes only wives who are on their husbands' sponsorship and husbands who are on their wives' sponsorship. They can work if they transfer their sponsorship to their employer. The ministry said that the earlier decision on the transfer of sponsorship applies to sons but not to daughters. Answering a question on the cancellation of a ‘huroob' report, a source said, “The cancellation can be done by current sponsor or the new sponsor if the current one is in the red zone of Nitaqat.
“The sponsorship can be transferred without getting a sponsor's consent if the transfer is for the green zone.” The source said the firm owner is registered automatically in the Nitaqat Program provided he is not registered in another firm.
This is after confirming that he has been registered in the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI). The source said that the fee for issuing work permits is aimed at boosting opportunities for Saudi workers in the private sector. He said that the Nitaqat Program contributed to the employment of over 500,000 Saudi nationals in two years. He ruled out any intention to stop recruitment completely in the current stage due to the increasing need for workers amid the current boom in projects. Last month Deputy Minister of Labor Dr. Mufraj Al-Haqbani had said that allowing dependents of expatriates to work as per specified rules is not a temporary exemption but a permanent proposition. It is not linked to the rectification of grace period, he explained. Haqbani said the employment of dependents is the alternative for recruitment from abroad, but not a substitute for Saudization. The extension of the amnesty by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah earlier this month allowed dependents of expatriates to work as long as they have a written request from the business that wishes to employ them, are at least 18 years of age and have been listed as dependents to legally resident expatriates for at least one year, and the firm hiring the dependent have the consent of the sponsor of the dependent.
