The Ministry of Labor has rejected claims that it is forcing expatriates aged above 60 to retire from private sector companies.
There is an estimated 500,000 foreign workers over 60 working for private firms.
“Expat workers who are older than 60 years can continue working for their employers,” Abdel Aziz Al-Shamsan, media center director at the ministry, told the local media.
The issue of the age of expat workers depends on employer regulations and the Ministry of Labor cannot interfere by (enforcing its own) requirements, he said.
The official, however, said expatriates who had retired cannot get their sons to become their sponsors.
Private companies cannot sponsor retired men. This means elderly expatriate workers have to return to their home countries.
Col. Badr Al-Malik, spokesman of the Passports Department told Arab News, that he was unsure of the regulations on this issue. “I cannot say retired expats have problems transferring their sponsorship to their sons. Regulations on transferring sponsorships have changed over the last few years and I have to check the related regulations to answer your questions.”
Al-Malik had said in a previous interview that the passports department only transfers personal sponsorships, while the labor office was responsible for dealing with private sector transfers.
Mustafa Ibrahim, an Egyptian expatriate who retired from his job as an accountant in Jeddah after 40 years, has been trying to transfer his sponsorship to his youngest son who is a marketing expert in the private sector.
The passport department refused to comply with his request.
He retired in 2005 and his company did not want to sponsor him.
“In the past, a son was permitted to take over the sponsorship of his father, but not now,” he said.
“I have visited the passports department and the labor office to find a solution to my problem, but it has not been solved,” he added.
No iqama curbs on those over 60
