The Jeddah Administrative Court has asked the Department of Human Resources (HADAF) to pay the salaries of Saudi female teachers working at private schools, specifically to pay the salaries of 34 female teachers currently working at one private school.

Additionally, the court ordered a cancelation of the decision by the director of education in Jeddah to impose fines and penalties on a private school in Jeddah for not signing contracts with HADAF.

Sources told local media that according to the decision of the Jeddah education director, if the school did not participate in HADAF programs it would be subjected to punitive measures, notably paying a fine of SR5,000 for each female teacher. Further, the education department would address the labor office to halt the activities of the school’s owner, causing the school to be shut down later.

The Administrative Court of Appeal in Jeddah endorsed the primary ruling on the case, which confirmed the soundness of the decision.

The Appeal Court also endorsed the original ruling saying it was based on reasonable grounds. It pointed out that it will be not affected by the objections of the representative of the education department.

The owner of the school in question, Mohammad Hassan Yusuf, told local media that he had submitted an application to the Jeddah Administrative Court concerning the unified contract stating that every Saudi female teacher at private schools should receive a salary of SR5,000, of which the school pays half while HADAF bears the other half in compliance with the Royal Decree.

“We drafted a new contract for the Saudi school teachers stating that the school would pay an amount of SR2,500, in addition to SR600 as transport allowance, plus SR2,500 paid by HADAF. But the officials at the fund objected to the nature of the contract, although the court rulings have now confirmed that the new contract is correct.” Yusuf explained.

He added the fund had refused to pay the salaries of 34 Saudi female teachers since September 2014.