New sponsorship rule big headache for working expats' spouses

Many working wives of expats have expressed dissatisfaction over having to transfer their sponsorship to their employer in order to work.
The Ministry of Labor’s decision categorically states that wives who are on their husbands’ sponsorship and husbands who are on their wives’ sponsorship would be allowed to work only if they transfer their sponsorship to their employer.
“I wouldn’t prefer transferring my sponsorship from my husband to my employer’s,” says Shafeena Faznain, a teacher at the Pakistan International School in Jeddah. “Personally, I think it would be fair if I was hired from abroad and sponsored by the school, but being locally hired and asked to transfer sponsorships is an obvious rejection for all working wives,” she said.
Faznain believes it is safer to remain under the sponsorship of one’s husband since there is more flexibility with jobs and that it is safer to have the entire family under one sponsor.
Sarah Naser, an Indian expat wife working for a Riyadh company in the hospitality sector, says she is only working part-time and that it does not require her to sign a contract or transfer her sponsorship.
“I wouldn’t mind transferring my sponsorship to the company to receive benefits and allowances, but I’m positive they cannot guarantee safety, especially where female employees are concerned,” says she.
“For example, if I am under the sponsorship of my company and I want to quit and if my company doesn’t grant me the No-Objection Certificate, then I am stuck. For that reason, I prefer to remain on my husband’s sponsorship.”
The ministry announced that sons of expats would have to transfer their sponsorships from their guardians to their employers, while expats’ daughters, many of whom are born and raised in the Kingdom, will not be able to work.
“I cannot understand why they would stop an expat's daughter from working and allow an expat wife to work,” says Basmah Sharif, an Egyptian bank employee.
Sharif thinks that it is unreasonable to go ahead with such a decision. “I have a friend who is divorced and is living with her parents. In her case, who would feed and take responsibility of her children? I can’t digest the fact that her father has to be the only provider for her whole family. This is simply unjust.”