JEDDAH, 27 March 2008 — The Labor Ministry is currently studying a proposal that calls for dropping work experience requirement for Saudi job seekers, an official said.
Muhammad Al-Dowaish, adviser to Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, said the proposal was made as part of efforts to create job opportunities for the increasing number of unemployed Saudis. He said the work experience requirement contradicted the Labor Law, which directs employers to hire Saudis and provide them with on-the-job training.
Al-Dowaish said the requirement was one major problem preventing employment of Saudis, adding that some organizations demanded experience of more than five years for certain jobs.
Khaled Al-Sajjan, an expert in personnel affairs, said there were many jobs that did not require years of experience.
Al-Sajjan, however, said he was not in favor of totally dropping the requirement as some sensitive jobs do require long experience.
