JEDDAH: The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) signed an agreement yesterday with the Ministry of Labor to process visas for foreign workers coming to the Kingdom.
“The agreement will help the processing of employment and business visas for experts in various fields in a short time at a lower cost,” said JCCI member Abdullah Al-Maraei ibn Mahfouz. As part of the agreement, the JCCI and the ministry will also be making joint efforts to rein in the rising unemployment among Saudis. This part of the agreement will also include participation of the Technical and Vocational Training Center (TVTC).
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Jeddah Gov. Prince Mishaal ibn Majed and Minister of Labor Ghazi Al-Gosaibi attended the signing function held at Prince Khaled’s office yesterday. “According to its agreement with the Ministry of Labor, the JCCI will strive to beef up the job nationalization (Saudization) process in the Kingdom’s private sector,” said JCCI Chairman Saleh Al-Turki following the signing ceremony. “The agreement also stipulates that applications submitted by private companies for job visas would be processed by the chamber.”
Under a separate agreement also signed yesterday, the JCCI and the TVTC will jointly take steps to train young Saudis,” Al-Turki said, and added that these training programs would target key jobs currently filled predominantly by foreign workers. “The agreements would serve as a boost for the Saudization process and support for the private sector that needs qualified talent.”
The JCCI chairman added that the effective and rapid Saudization of jobs required the preparation of a detailed database on the private job market including its future requirements. “The chamber would serve as a connecting link between the private sector and the offices for job nationalization,” the chairman added.
— With input from Wael Abdullah
