The Labor Ministry has announced plans to launch an “Advanced Nitaqat” scheme with the aim of improving the salaries of Saudi employees.
Companies that provide salaries below specific levels will not be counted under the Nitaqat system, said Labor Minister Adel Fakeih
He said the ministry was setting up a mechanism to identify such firms. The Advanced Nitaqat, to be implemented in two months, would focus on salaries earned by citizens. The pay structure as well as the number of citizens employed by a company will be evaluated, he explained.
The minister described Nitaqat as “a just, realistic and practical” Saudization system. He said the scheme helped find jobs for 250,000 citizens within a year. “We have also got 50,000 Saudi women employed in less than a year.”
The minister said companies that did not comply with Nitaqat system would not be able to renew their employees’ work permits.
He also said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah had approved a proposal to appoint 1,000 labor inspectors.
An intensive campaign will be launched within the next three months to track down violators of iqama regulations, he warned.
‘Advanced Nitaqat’ to focus on salaries
