Dubai: More than 257,000 foreign workers have left the Saudi Arabia's labour market during the third quarter of 2020, bringing the total of non-Saudis to some 10.2 million, compared to 10.46 million in the previous quarter, the Kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics has revealed according to Al Arabiya.
Meanwhile, the number of Saudi employees increased by about 82,000 workers in the third quarter of 2020, bringing the total number of Saudi employees to about 3.25 million workers, compared to 3.17 million workers in the second quarter.
The decline in the number of foreign workers led to a decrease in the total number of workers in the Kingdom by about 175,000 to reach 13.46 million workers, compared to about 13.63 million workers in the second quarter.
The total number of work visas issued in the third quarter of last year increased to about 72,000 visas, compared to about 49,000 in the second quarter of 2020, an increase of about 23,000 visas.
The second quarter of last year coincided with border closures and a ban on travel to and from Saudi Arabia, as part of the government’s efforts to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The third quarter of 2020 witnessed a decline in work visas issued to the government sector by about 6,600, equivalent to 56 per cent, bringing the total number to about 5,200 visas, compared to 11,800 visas in the second quarter of 2020.
