Saudi Gazette report

Riyadh — Only Saudis will be allowed to work in car rental offices beginning March 18, according to spokesman of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development Khaled Aba Al-Khail.

He said joint inspection teams will monitor car rental companies for any violations. Fines will be imposed on violating firms depending on the number of expat workers employed in jobs restricted to Saudis. Fines will increase manifold for a repeat violation.

Al-Khail said any enquiries or complaints about violations in the labor market can be made through the ministry’s call center (19911) or through the “ma3an-lil-rasd” application on smart devices.

He said the ministry will provide online job training to Saudis through the “Doroob” platform.

As a key initiative of the National Transformation Program 2020 for the development of the nation’s workforce and by partnering with the private sector, Doroob plays an essential role in the reduction of the unemployment rate by raising the skills of job seekers which raises their overall competitiveness in the labor market.

It also assists enterprises in finding highly qualified professionals to fill required jobs.

Al-Khail said the ministry will also provide technical and financial support to young Saudi entrepreneurs.

It will also organize job forums to connect employers and job-seekers.

Last April, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development announced its decision to limit all jobs in car rental companies to Saudi nationals.

The ministry urged all stakeholders in the private sector to submit their suggestions with regard to restricting jobs in car rental outlets to Saudis.

The ministry posted its recommendations in this respect on its community participation portal, “Together We Improve”, which can be accessed at http://qarar.ma3an.gov.sa/a/ideas/recent/campaigns/19905.

The new move follows signing of a memorandum of understanding between the ministry and the Public Transport Authority to Saudize jobs in car rental offices and app-based ride-hailing services.

The deal is expected to create some 200,000 part-time and full-time jobs for Saudis in the public transport sector over the next three years in line with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.