RIYADH, 30 October — The Kingdom yesterday banned tens of thousands of foreigners from driving taxis. The decision was made in order to provide more jobs for the rising number of Saudis who are unemployed.
Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, ordered the Interior Ministry to take "whatever procedures and penalties are needed to implement the decision," the Saudi Press Agency reported. The crown prince gave the authorities six months to implement the order after which "no foreigner will be allowed to drive taxis under any circumstances."
Prince Abdullah also ordered that from now on only the Labor and Social Affairs Ministry will be responsible for recruitment of foreign workers, withdrawing the facility from the Interior Ministry.
In a cable to Interior Minister Prince Naif, the crown prince said the number of foreign drivers operating taxis "has been increasing rapidly...although a large number of Saudis are willing to do the job."
Unofficial estimates put the number of foreign taxi drivers in the Kingdom at more than 50,000, the majority of them in the main cities.
Authorities have made several unsuccessful attempts in recent years to limit the job to Saudi nationals. Their efforts failed mainly because not enough Saudis were willing to work as drivers and also because of the position taken by the Saudis who own the taxi companies.
More than 90 percent of the Kingdom’s taxi drivers are foreigners but they cannot own the taxis. They are hired on condition they give a fixed daily sum to the owners.
Between six and seven million expatriates live and work in the Kingdom which has a population of 22 million people. Unofficial estimates put the unemployment rate among Saudi males at about 15 percent. Labor and Social Affairs Minister Ali Al-Namlah disclosed recently that there are 3.2 million Saudi job seekers.
The domestic economy has been hampered by an average annual growth rate in the past two decades well below its population growth rate of more than 3.5 percent.
While restricting issuance of labor visas to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the crown prince said: "Issuance of work permits and visas for all purposes has been more than actually needed which poses a real danger to the Saudi society."
Currently, work permits and other visas fall under various ministries including the ministries of interior, labor, Haj and foreign affairs.
However, as per the new order, issuance of visas for marrying foreign women as well as diplomatic visas and guest pilgrim visas will come under the jurisdiction of the interior and foreign ministries.
In another cable addressed to the interior minister, Prince Abdullah ordered that no group visas for Haj or Umrah or visit be issued in response to applications by businessmen or any other individuals.
"This should be made a standing principle and no exception should be made in this matter to avoid others requesting the same service," the crown prince said, adding that everybody should be treated in accordance with the rules and regulations.
Prince Abdullah pointed out that there are legalized agencies and organizations to provide Haj and Umrah services. "We should not ignore them in order to satisfy personal interests."
The Haj Ministry has licensed 229 Umrah companies to provide various services to pilgrims.
