The Labor Ministry has banned recruitment of foreign workers to professions that the Hafiz employment program has registered as part of efforts to create more job opportunities for Saudis.

“Recruitment companies have been banned from bringing in foreign workers for professions that could employ Saudis,” a Labor Ministry official told Al-Watan Arabic daily.

He said the measure was taken to ensure Saudis registered with Hafiz get jobs. “Recruitment and manpower supply companies can recruit foreigners for any specializations except those registered with Hafiz,” the official said. The newly established recruitment companies in the Kingdom have started receiving applications from companies and institutions for workers. The majority of applicants were contracting companies, schools and health centers, the paper said.

The ministry has linked recruitment companies with the Nitaqat system in order to prevent companies in the red category from getting their services until they change their status.

According to one report, of the 1.2 million Saudis registered with Hafiz, 20 hold doctoral degrees and 1,300 hold master’s degrees.

There are also 31,000 illiterate individuals, 440,000 with secondary school educations, 18,400 with intermediate education and 155,000 with primary school education.

Also registered are 300,000 bachelor’s degree holders, and 66,000 diploma and 12,000 higher diploma holders. Beneficiaries who are literate (able to read and write but without any formal education) numbered 40,000.