Saudi Gazette report RIYADH – Inspection teams from the Ministry of Labor raided 3,220 companies during the first week of a nationwide crackdown on labor and residency law violators. The ministry also blocked its online system linking 563 firms because of the gross violations by them, according to Abdullah Abu Thunain, Deputy Minister for inspection and improving work environment. He said inspection teams discovered 261 cases of violation, including 107 cases where expats were found working with those other than their sponsors, and 154 cases of malpractice in employing Saudis. “The ministry has blocked its online system linking the firms where the inspection teams could not reach because either they were non-exstent on the address furnished earlier to the ministry or the address supplied to the ministry were incorrect,” Abu Thunain said, urging the firms to contact the nearest Labor Office at the earliest to restore their service after completing necessary procedures. He reiterated the ministry's determination to rectify the labor market by ridding it of illegal expatriates who are still poised to create obstructions in job opportunities for Saudis and legal expatriates. He noted that some commercial activities are still dominated by illegals, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Abu Thunain said that Al-Qassim recorded the highest number of inspection raids with 836 (26 percent), while Tabuk came at the bottom with 15 raids (0.5 percent).
The inspectors carried out 729 visits in the Eastern Province, 706 in Riyadh, 220 in Jazan, 201 in Makkah, 108 in Madinah, 208 in Najran, 73 in Hail, 60 in the Northern Border region, 59 in Al-Jouf, 54 in Baha, and 51 in Asir. Fahd Al-Kholaiwi, Director General of the ministry's branch in Riyadh region, said the inspectors detected 68 violations in the region, which included violations of Article 39 of the Labor Law such as working with those other than sponsors, engaging in trade other than the one mentioned in the work permit, and working for personal gain in addition to violation of Article 36 by working in those trades that are exclusively for Saudis. These violations were found out during a three-hour inspection campaign undertaken by 10 teams at firms situated along Prince Muhammad Street on Friday evening. There are 55 teams designated for carrying out raids in Riyadh region, Al-Kholaiwi said. He said the raids would cover all commercial, industrial, educational and health sectors, including construction, operation and maintenance, contracting, wholesale and retail, hospitality and tourism.
