More jobs for Saudis as Nitaqat applied to SMEs

Small and medium enterprises having nine employees or less should appoint at least one Saudi worker from today to avoid slipping into the Red zone of the Nitaqat system.
“Owners of such SMEs should employ at least one Saudi and register him/her name with the GOSI,” the Labor Ministry said yesterday.
The ministry warned against any foul play in employment of Saudis, saying the newly appointed Saudi in an SME should not be an employee of any other enterprise. “The owner of the firm or one of its partners can be considered a worker provided he/she is not working in any other firm,” the ministry said. The ministry warned that those firms that fail to follow the rule would be placed in the Red category and denied the ministry’s services.
Workers in such Red zone firms will be allowed to move freely to firms in Platinum or Green categories after the expiry of their work permits, the ministry said.
The ministry had earlier excluded SMEs from the Nitaqat system, considering the efforts of young Saudi businessmen in setting up such firms.
“We have now included such SMEs in the Nitaqat system to complete the phase of quantitative Saudization of jobs,” Labor Minister Adel Fakeih said in a previous statement.