Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH – The number of visas of foreign workers for the public sector over the past five years has reached 510,000 visas, with Asian workers constituting 40 percent of the visas, according to a report issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development.

The year 2016 saw a 45 percent increase in the number of visas issued, reaching 143,000 visas more, compared to the previous year.

The number of visas issued for the public sector jumped to 105,000 in 2014 from 57,000 in 2013 and 126,000 in 2012. The health and education sectors accounted for 51 percent of the visas issued for the public sector with a total of 256,000 visas. Riyadh, Eastern Province and Makkah received the highest percentage of visas.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development confirmed that any domestic servants who do not receive their salary for three consecutive or separate months have the right to apply for a sponsorship transfer. This decision seeks to give domestic servants a chance to find another job where they can get paid regularly and without delay.

The ministry urged the public not to contact any person who posts an advertisement in newspapers for the release or transfer of sponsorship of domestic servants. The ministry stressed that it monitors such advertisements closely and reports them to the Ministry of Interior and judiciary committees at the Ministry of Culture and Information. They will apply penalties on publishers of such advertisements as well.

The ministry called upon the media to comply with the laws banning such advertisements, noting that only authorized recruitment companies can post such advertisements in newspapers provided that the company mentions its name, license number and contact details.

The ministry issued a statement earlier warning the public against engaging in any activities related to recruitment mediation, provision of labor services and renting domestic servants. Anyone who wishes to engage in any such activity should get the ministry’s prior permission.

The ministry also pointed out that newspapers that publish such advertisements are violating provisions of the publication law.

The ministry urged citizens and expatriate workers who want to hire domestic servants to use the Musaned App to get an idea about the authorized recruitment companies and offices and the recruitment expenses.