The main complaint lodged by the Saudis, according to Al-Watan Arabic daily, was that they had to reach the office early in the morning to present their applications to the concerned officials.
They say some officials invariably arrive late for work and sometimes it took them two months to get a response from the office.
They also complained that the labor office was setting difficult conditions to get works visas, including employment of Saudi nationals in small firms such as hairdressing salons and plumbing and electrical shops.
Responding to the complaints, ministry spokesman Hattab Al-Anazi said they were exaggerated. “You will see a dramatic improvement in the electronic services at all labor offices within a few days,” he said.
Al-Anazi said the ministry put strict conditions in order to stop “cover-up” businesses and increase job opportunities for Saudis. “Many young Saudis now want to start medium and small enterprises (SMEs). Cover-up businesses (run by foreigners who pay a monthly fee to the registered Saudi owner) pose a big challenge for them.”
Referring to the question of the late arrival of officials at their desks, Al-Anazi said there may be some isolated incidents. “We don’t delay processing an application without any reason. Some people present their applications without attaching the required documents,” he said.
Before issuing recruitment visas, ministry officials have to visit the establishments or shops to make sure they are genuine.
“There are thousands of SMEs operating in the Kingdom without employing a single Saudi. We want to change this situation,” he added.
He also spoke about the difference between the recruitment of workers for personal or family purposes and for businesses. “If it is for business, there should be at least one Saudi worker in a firm employing nine or less workers. If the request is to recruit domestic workers, visas will be granted only after studying such applications and the ability of applicants to pay their wages regularly.”
Al-Anazi said the owner of an SME would not be allowed to expand his business unless he employs the required number of Saudis in accordance with the new Nitaqat system. “If he fails to fulfill this condition he will not be able to recruit new workers or transfer workers from other firms,” he added.
