JEDDAH: The Foreign Ministry said that the new fees approved on Monday by the Cabinet would cover all visas, including work and visit visas, noting that it excludes what is within agreements concluded between the Kingdom and other countries.
Tameem Al-Dosari, the deputy undersecretary for consular affairs at the Foreign Ministry, said that the fees are for all visas issued by the Kingdom abroad, such as work visas and visit visas, pointing out that the decision stated that the Kingdom will bear the fees for first-time Haj and Umrah pilgrimages.
Al-Dosari added that the contents of bilateral agreements concluded between the Kingdom and other countries are excluded from the new visa regime, because this is in the national interest and every sovereign state has to consider its interests.
Manpower expert Nawaf Dhubaib said that the decision to amend visa fees for foreigners, which will reduce the competition between foreign workers and Saudi workers in the labor market, besides raising Saudi earnings by increasing the costs of the foreigners, was not surprising.
Dhubaib, a member of the Arabian Society for Human Resources, explained in a statement to a local publication on Tuesday, that this decision will create competition.
He stressed that there are two types of categories of foreigners targeted in this decision: under training unskilled workers and managers and specialists.
He stated that foreign employees have in their companies a party that will bear the costs of visas. “This will increase the load on employers, and will force them to let these workers go and replace them with Saudi workers.”
He explained that some workers come to the Kingdom considering that it is a training place for a certain period, in order into go into the labor market.
Dhubaib pointed out that the other category — managers and specialists — will not be affected badly by this decision. He demanded a strict monitoring of the additional revenue generation.
Tameem Al-Dosari, the deputy undersecretary for consular affairs at the Foreign Ministry, said that the fees are for all visas issued by the Kingdom abroad, such as work visas and visit visas, pointing out that the decision stated that the Kingdom will bear the fees for first-time Haj and Umrah pilgrimages.
Al-Dosari added that the contents of bilateral agreements concluded between the Kingdom and other countries are excluded from the new visa regime, because this is in the national interest and every sovereign state has to consider its interests.
Manpower expert Nawaf Dhubaib said that the decision to amend visa fees for foreigners, which will reduce the competition between foreign workers and Saudi workers in the labor market, besides raising Saudi earnings by increasing the costs of the foreigners, was not surprising.
Dhubaib, a member of the Arabian Society for Human Resources, explained in a statement to a local publication on Tuesday, that this decision will create competition.
He stressed that there are two types of categories of foreigners targeted in this decision: under training unskilled workers and managers and specialists.
He stated that foreign employees have in their companies a party that will bear the costs of visas. “This will increase the load on employers, and will force them to let these workers go and replace them with Saudi workers.”
He explained that some workers come to the Kingdom considering that it is a training place for a certain period, in order into go into the labor market.
Dhubaib pointed out that the other category — managers and specialists — will not be affected badly by this decision. He demanded a strict monitoring of the additional revenue generation.
