Beauty business owners call for urgent relief

Businesswomen have urged the Ministry of Labor to speed up regulations for the beauty industry, in particular those businesses providing physical therapy, massage, hairdressing, makeup and dressmaking.
The Labor Ministry is planning to implement rigorous monitoring of all work visas regarding the industry through coordinating with the ministries of commerce and industry, and municipal and rural affairs. It also seeks to classify businesses in the industry to clarify the rights and obligations of owners, employees and government.
Madawi Hassoun, an investor and member of the Council of Saudi Chambers, said that the beauty industry is not benefitting from the grace period offered to individuals and companies to ensure all workers are under their sponsorship. This prevents foreign women under the sponsorship of their spouses to work in the beauty industry.
In addition, owners of beauty salons are barred from issuing new work visas, threatening the future of the industry.
Graduates from local technical and vocational institutes meet only one percent of the staffing demands of the industry. Many women are also reluctant to work in the industry, due to other reasons, even though they may get high salaries, she said.
According to Hassoun, government is not approving issuance of new work visas required for the sector. For example, 50 employees are needed for a business of 1,850 square meters, but only 10 visas are approved, forcing beauty-business owners and dress designers to violate the system by hiring women not under their sponsorship.
She said though Nitaqat system is helping to improve the lives and careers of Saudi women, but beauty industry has not yet benefited from opportunities provided by the Saudization incentive.
Hassoun said that the private sector has gone beyond its duty to provide training for poorly trained Saudi women.
Nasreen Alamri, an investor in Taif, agreed that the beauty industry has not benefited from the grace period announced by the government for expatriates to rectify their status.
Beauty-sector business is currently facing major problems as they do not have enough Saudis to meet the staffing demands, despite offering salaries of up to SR 8,000 a month.
The owners of beauty salons cannot transfer the sponsorships of expatriate women living in the country or get new visas, even though they have exceeded Saudization quotas.
Alamri said she needs 30 employees at her beauty business currently, but the Ministry of Labor has only granted her five visas.
The ministry has also banned the hiring of hairdressers, and only allowed recruitment of designers and dressmakers, she added.
Alamri urged the ministry to revise regulations concerning beauty businesses, and allow employment of qualified expatriates workers. “We must take into account the lack of Saudis in this sector. The sector is facing culture barriers.”
Abrar Saad, a young entrepreneur who owns a spa, said few Saudi women are qualified for physical therapy and massage. She called on the ministry to address problems regarding beauty businesses.