Cairo: Saudi Arabia has penalised 222 employers for violating domestic labour regulations. The violations included providing domestic workers' services to third parties, allowing them to work independently, and assigning tasks not agreed upon in advance.
The Ministry of Human Resources imposed fines on the violators, who were also stripped of their recruitment rights. Additionally, the ministry suspended the licenses of 25 recruitment offices for non-compliance with recruitment and labour service regulations, such as failing to refund clients and resolve employer-related issues.
Licenses for 11 more recruitment offices were revoked for not meeting minimum performance standards and violating several recruitment rules.
Saudi Arabia, home to 32.2 million people, hosts a large expatriate workforce. Recently, the Kingdom has focused on regulating its job market to enhance its attractiveness and competitiveness.
In August, the Saudi government approved significant labour reforms to protect contractual rights. For contracts without a specific duration, the notice period for termination is 30 days if initiated by the worker and 60 days if initiated by the employer.
In 2020, Saudi Arabia introduced major labour reforms, significantly improving its sponsorship system. These reforms, implemented the following year, allow job mobility and regulate exit and re-entry visas for expatriates without requiring employer approval.
