Saudi Gazette report RIYADH – Starting this Thursday, the Ministry of Labor will stop offering seven services at its offices all over the Kingdom. The services will now only be available online at the ministry website, according to Ziyad Al-Sayegh, undersecretary for customer services and labor affairs. The services are: (1) issuance and renewal of employment permits (2) issuance of temporary employment permits (3) issuance of final exit permits (4) issuance and cancelation of huroob reports (for expatriates who do not show up for work for a long time) (5) change of profession (6) transfer of services (7) cancelation of services. “The ministry is working on making all its services available electronically for the convenience of service-seekers,” Al-Sayegh said.
Over 16,000,000 electronic transactions have been provided by the ministry's website since it was set up in 2011. During the amnesty period, 94% of work was done online and there was no need for employees or employers to be physically present at a labor office. The ministry's statistics indicate that on an average 90% work is now being done online daily. In 2011, the website offered only the service of issuance and renewal of employment permits. But in 2012, it introduced the services related to change of business activity, transfer of workers from one branch to another, change of profession, and transfer of sponsorship services. In 2013, several more services became available such as cancelation of visas, uploading of salary list by big companies, hiring of labor, filing and canceling huroob reports. In 2014, quick visa services were made available. Warning against dealing with Ethiopian recruitment firms The ministry's spokesman Hattab Al-Eneizi warned local recruitment offices against engaging in any business activities with recruitment offices in Ethiopia. The warning comes after some newspapers ran advertisements placed by Ethiopian recruitment offices that offered their services. The ministry said the Ethiopian government announced months ago that it won't send any of its citizens for work in all Arab countries for six months. Hattab said the government in Ethiopia is working on drafting new recruitment mechanism. Just a click away Issuance and renewal of employment permits Issuance of temporary employment permits Issuance of final exit permits Issuance and cancelation of huroob reports Change of profession Transfer of services Cancelation of services
