Is Saudization a threat to expat professionals in Saudi Arabia

The term Saudization refers to the Saudi Nationalisation Scheme, introduced several years back to deal with the Kingdom’s mass unemployment issue, but it's now causing concern within the expat community.

During the Kingdom’s earlier days and up until recently, foreign labour and expat professionals were essential for developing its economy, resulting in a massive pool of jobs and business opportunities in which the possibilities were seemingly endless. Nowadays, things are very different. With the jobs marketplace now being instructed to employ Saudi nationals and expats being increasingly banned, it seems the Kingdom’s golden days for expats are receding into history.

Current Saudi news as well as regular checking on the Ministry of Labour’s website are the best ways for expats to keep up with the changes. The banned jobs list for foreigners is getting longer by the month, although it presently includes mostly lower waged position in retail, telecommunications, construction, local banking, gold markets, carpets and suchlike. Experienced expat professionals aren’t affected to date, nor are those working in the oil and gas sector.

Raids are being carried out in order to ensure the new rules are being followed to the letter, with businesses caught evading the laws liable for heavy fines as well as closure. Another surprising work related change attributable to Saudization is a new ‘feminized’ law which forces employers in the female products and services retail sector to employ Saudi females. It’s this law which signifies above all other changes that Saudi Arabia is heading for a new dawn originating in the West and its practices.