Cairo: The Saudi government has extended a five-year waiver for expatriate workers in the industrial sector and said the state will continue to bear related fees on behalf of industrial establishments until the end of 2025.
The decision was announced following a Cabinet meeting held Tuesday under the chairmanship of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman in a step aimed to stimulate the country’s industrial competitiveness.
In 2019, Saudi Arabia imposed fees on foreigners working in the kingdom as part of efforts to encourage employing citizens, a policy dubbed “Saudisation”.
A five-year fee waiver was then given to industrial enterprises employing expatriates.
The government’s decision to extend the waiver until December 31, 2025 is set to increase the global competitiveness of the national industry and give non-oil Saudi exports greater access to world markets, according to Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandr Al Khorayef.
He added that the Saudi industrial sector has experienced marked growth since the state started bearing the expat fees in 2019 with the number of industrial establishments rising from 8,822 factories to 11,868 until last April while employment grew by 57%.
Overall investments in the industrial sector have since increased by 55% to reach SR1.5 trillion at the end of last year, the official said. In addition, non-oil exports increased by 12%.
“The Council of Ministers’ decision to extend the state’s bearing of the cost of the fees for the expats working in the industrial establishments will consolidate continued growth of the industrial sector, including the creation of more job opportunities, development of local capabilities and attraction of more investments,” Al Khorayef added.
More than 8,000 industrial establishments have benefited from the waiver until the end of last year, according to the official.
