King Abdullah said the measure was aimed at providing job stability for Saudis and tackling the problems faced by some contract teachers.
“We don’t want these teachers to suffer due to enforcement of certain regulations without proper care and scrutiny, and we want to resolve their problems permanently,” the king said in his decree.
He said the present order also covers all employees, both men and women, working in evening schools for adults. They will be treated like those working day shifts in adult education institutions.
The decree said those teachers appointed as replacements would also get permanent status.
“In future teachers working morning shifts in such schools would be asked to teach in the evening shifts as well,” the king said.
He called for stopping all types of contracts for teachers, including for replacements, until a thorough study on this program is completed before the next academic year.
King Abdullah also urged the officials to abide by the relevant regulations while implementing the decree. In a previous decree King Abdullah ordered to make the status of temporary government employees permanent, benefiting about 180,000 employees.
“All Saudi men and women employed under special employment clauses and receiving their pay from the state budget have been made permanent in their jobs,” the king said in his order.
The order also covered those working in various government departments and receiving pay from funds outside the budget, such as the students' fund, funds for shelters and endowment, as well as those who are working on contracts in community service colleges and continuous education centers.
The new order is expected to strengthen various government departments and give a boost to the national economy.
Sayyed Al-Imam, a businessman, said: “The royal gesture will encourage the beneficiaries to work hard and change their attitude toward work."
