RIYADH, 30 April — The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has been receiving requests from many Saudi businessmen to lift the ban on the recruitment of Indian labor, a reliable source at the ministry has told Arab News.
The ministry has forwarded these requests to the Ministry of Interior, the authority which makes decisions on employment policies.
Interior Minister Prince Naif is the head of the Manpower Council of the Kingdom.
Secretary-General of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry Osama Al-Kurdi allayed fears that the resumption of the recruitment of the Indian labor would adversely affect the government’s Saudization policy.
“All studies on Saudization emphasize that there are certain areas which Saudis do not like to work in, while in other sectors the number of Saudi workers are far fewer than the number required,” said Kurdi.
“An examination of the Kingdom’s manpower market shows that the growth of the domestic economy demands the continuation of the imported labor, particularly in jobs which are not interesting to Saudis or which are not filled by the local workforce,” Kurdi added.
With 1.5 million workers, Indians are the largest expatriate workforce in the Kingdom. The government previously issued a ban on the recruitment of Indian labor except in the fishing trade, which was exempted from the ban because of the shortage of skilled Saudi hands in the field.
The Indian workforce in the Kingdom has proved its efficiency and experience and has great respect for Saudi customs, traditions and Islamic culture. “I believe that the move is important. I don’t believe it would negatively affect the Saudization process in the private sector,” Kurdi added.
This move comes as the government decides to implement strictly the five-percent Saudization of every private establishment with 20 workers.
Unemployment in the Kingdom is estimated at between 10 and 15 percent.
