By Faris Al-Qahtani

Okaz/Saudi Gazette

RIYADH — The Shoura (Consultative) Council has proposed to stop recruiting foreign lawyers due to the existing number of qualified and trained Saudi lawyers.

The Shoura Council reviewed the Human Resources Development Fund’s fiscal report of the year 2016-17 and proposed a number of recommendations.

Shoura Council member Faisal Al-Fadel said foreign lawyers who do not have more than seven years of experience should not be recruited as there are Saudi lawyers that can do their job.

“Moreover, foreign lawyers should undergo the Saudi Bar Association’s examination process. They should go through a personal interview before they are hired as well. The number of Saudi lawyers is increasing and we must be able to accommodate them in the job market,” said Al-Fadel.

He added the Ministry of Labor and Social Development had previously signed an agreement with the Saudi Bar Association to not recruit foreign lawyers with less than five years of experience.

Shoura member Raida Abu Nayan said she proposed to exempt small enterprises from the collective bill placed on expatriate employees but her proposal was later withdrawn.

“The Human Resources Fund aims to support small and medium business ventures. There are fields of work that the small and medium enterprises have a hard time Saudizing. I think the matter should concern the fund as it already gives out financial support to these enterprises,” said Abu Nayan.

Another Shoura member, Zainab Abu Taleb, said the fund should support the employment of people with special needs in both public and private institutions but her proposal was later withdrawn.

“The fund should have correspondence unit to connect people with special needs to potential employers and to ensure that they are welcomed and accommodated for in their workplace,” said Abu Taleb.

She added accommodating people with special needs is a requirement in our national laws and in the international laws as well.