The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been laying off migrant workers including Bangladeshis in an effort to lower the unemployment rate among the Saudi nationals.
At present, the kingdom's unemployment rate stands at 12.8 percent.
Both the government and the private sectors are downsizing the number of migrant workers to open up new employment opportunities for the natives.
The initiative, termed as ‘Saudification’, is bad news for Bangladeshi workers as more sectors will be brought under the campaign, sources say.
Labour and Social Development Ministry of Saudi Arabia is planning to include 12 different sectors under ‘Saudification’ by Hijri 1440.
The new directive stipulates that only Saudi men and women will be eligible to get jobs in those fields. No migrant workers whatsoever to get any employment there.
The sectors include automobile accessories stores, apparel retail and wholesale stores, dresses, shoes, cosmetics, office furniture stores, household items stores, electronic and electric items, watches stores, pharmacies, health and hospital related apparatus, real estate construction, automobile parts, carpet, chocolate and sweetmeats.
All these sectors will be brought under ‘Saudification’ in three stages during the hijri year starting from Sep 12, 2018.
Labour and Social Development Minister Ali al Ghafis also said in his announcement that, stern actions will be taken if the employment regulations are not followed.
Mohammed Al-Johani, deputy chairman of the foodstuff committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry told the state-owned media Saudi Gazette that, 100,000 Saudi nationals have graduated under the King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program who can be used in lieu of the high rated foreign workers.
Sayeed Bin Kashem Al Khalidi Al Maliki, a Shura council member told the Gazette, “We shouldn’t depend on foreign workers all our lives, whereas our nationals are both worthy and available.”
Sources from Saudi Arabia are saying that many stores have already closed down, mostly the ones run by migrant workers.
Expats living there have expressed concern that many more stores and business may be forced to shut their doors eventually.
According to figures obtained from Saudi Arab’s Statistics department, at least 60 thousand migrant workers are employed in the 12 sectors that are shortly going to be limited only for the Saudi nationals.
These migrant workers will have no choice but to return to their country and many already have.
A few thousand Bangladeshi expats are involved in the household item, cosmetics and readymade garments sectors, who will be negatively affected after the implementation of ‘Saudification’ in those sectors.
Bangladeshi envoy to Saudi Arabia Golam Moshi told Bangla Tribune, “Saudi government have taken a decision. They haven’t implemented it yet but they will do it gradually.”
“Our people will be affected to some extent, but we are trying to identify new sectors for them where they can get employment,’ he added.