“The right of movement and definitive exit without restrictions” … the beneficiaries of the abolition of the sponsorship system in Saudi Arabia

The decision to abolish the sponsorship system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which has been approved for implementation as of today Sunday, is part of the initiative to improve the relationship between the expatriate worker and the employer, so approximately 6 million and 48 thousand expatriate workers work within Saudi territory, either in the private sector or in the government sector, and this decision was announced upon its abolition from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources, last November, to build a market attractive work that depends on the empowerment of skills and the development of the work environment.

The decision will provide three main services for expatriate workers, among which is the empowerment of the worker to move freely within their workplace, developing return and exit mechanisms, and final exit for workers, as a continuation of the efforts of the Ministry to improve the work environment. by launching many programs, and at the forefront of which is the protection of workers’ wages in the general public AND the private program, the electronic contract documentation program, awareness of culture and labor rights, in addition to a “friendly” program for settling labor disputes, adopting insurance programs for labor rights, in addition to the system for the creation of a system of elected workers’ committees to protect the rights of the parties to an employment contract.

The development of the initiative occurred in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of the Interior and the National Information Center, with the support of other Saudi government agencies, after holding many meetings with the private sector and the Saudi Arabian Council of Chambers. , and based on studies and research. which includes the best international practices in this field.

The “Improvement of the Contractual Relationship” initiative seeks to increase the flexibility, effectiveness and competitiveness of the labor market, and to increase its attractiveness in line with the best international practices, as well as to activate the contractual reference in the labor relationship between the employer and the worker based on in the employment contract documented between them through the contract documentation program, which helps to reduce the disparity in the contractual procedures of the Saudi worker versus the foreign worker, which will be reflected in increased employment opportunities for the citizens in the labor market and attraction of skills.

Regarding the labor mobility service for a migrant worker to move to another job, the initiative allows the expatriate worker, at the end of their employment contract, to move to another job without the need for the employer’s approval, and The initiative also defines the transfer methods during the term of the contract, provided that the notice period and the specified controls are respected.

The departure and return service allows a migrant worker to travel outside of Saudi Arabia upon submission of the application, accompanied by an electronic notification from the employer, while the final departure service allows the expatriate worker to leave immediately after the end of the contract with a notification to the employer without requiring his consent.

In addition to the possibility of leaving Saudi Arabia with the worker bearing all the consequences of terminating the contract, all services will be available through the “Absher” platform and the “Power” platform of the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. Saudi.

The initiative to “improve the contractual relationship” is expected to have positive economic effects, including: flexibility and development of the labor market, increasing the productivity of the private sector, attracting highly qualified skills and contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the program Saudi Vision 2030 through the “National Transformation” program.

It should be noted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had introduced a new system to attract professional workers to work in the Saudi organs and sectors, which is the “professional examination” program to be activated in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia. and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia. General Organization of Technical and Professional Training, which aims to achieve ownership of the worker who wishes to work in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia for basic competencies for work and for the requested profession, which stipulates that the worker must undergo practical and theoretical tests in his field of specialization before being hired, by conducting these tests with the knowledge of specialized international companies in your country and as a condition for obtaining a work visa.

The new system aims to develop the skills of workers in accordance with international standards to meet the needs of the Saudi labor market, for more than a thousand specialized trades and professions that are included in 23 professional sections according to the classification established by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Affairs. Resources, and this will be done through two methods, the first of which aims to examine professional workers in their countries before they arrive in the Kingdom in cooperation with international examination centers, while the second method aims to aim to examine professional workers currently in the Kingdom in cooperation with local accredited examination centers.