Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — The National Center of Meteorology (NCM) has warned on Saturday that Saudi Arabia will witness a heatwave starting from Sunday and will continue until next Wednesday.

The NCM expects that the heatwave would touch 50 degrees Celsius in some regions of the Kingdom.

The NCM also expects that the maximum temperature in most of the governorates of the Eastern Province (Al-Sharqiya) and the parts between Madinah and Yanbu will reach 47 and 50 degrees Celsius respectively.

As for the eastern parts of the regions of Riyadh, Al-Qassim and the northern borders, it is expected that it will witness temperatures between 45 and 47 degrees Celsius.

The NCM called on everyone to take precautions, and also asked them to abide and adhere to the instructions of the competent authorities in order to preserve their safety.

It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) started imposing a ban on work under the sun from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. for a period of three months effective from Wednesday, June 15.

The ban, which will cover all private sector companies and establishments, will continue until Sept. 15, 2022.

Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette, Saad Al-Hammad, spokesman of the ministry, said that penalty amounting to SR3,000 would be imposed on the employer in the event of violating the regulations with regard to each worker.

The amount of fines will be multiplied with the number of workers involved in the violation of the midday work ban, he said.

The penalties also include shutting down the establishment for a period not exceeding 30 days, or closing it permanently, or imposing both fine and closure of the establishment.

The ministerial decision compels private sector enterprises to provide their workers a healthy and safe work environment and spare them from any risks and harm caused by the effects of exposure to sunlight and heat stress.