RIYADH — Minister of Labor Mufrij Al-Haqbani has said fake Saudization is ruining the productivity of young Saudis. "Fake Saudization is hiring Saudis with or without their knowledge and not have them work for you. Employers sometimes add Saudis who do not work for them on their pay rolls in order to meet the Saudization target under the Nitaqat system," said the minister. Al-Haqbani said in addition to this, there is unproductive Saudization. "Unproductive Saudization occurs when employers hire Saudis who are not as productive as their non-Saudi counterparts. They become a hindrance to the progress of the company," said the minister. He said several officials attended the Labor Market Forum held in Riyadh recently. "We listened to the suggestions and complaints of the employers and business owners," said the minister. Inspection and Work Environment Development General Director Osamah Al-Ruwaili said the ministry runs several inspection campaigns throughout the year to ensure that its regulations are implemented in the labor market. "The ministry aims to empower the Saudi youth and to give them a chance to build their own country and contribute to its development. However, when companies try to cheat the system, they harm the interests of the Saudi youth," said Al-Ruwaili. He also said the ministry's inspection campaigns are done in cooperation with several directorates. "Fifteen different directorates are involved in the inspection campaigns. Our directorate recorded 35,400 violations last year. There are several inspection campaigns organized every day. All recorded violations were processed and the violators penalized," said Al-Ruwaili. He said penalties for both the employers and the employees who violate the law are defined. "Depending on the violator and the violation, the penalties are applied. Employers and employees can appeal their cases to the Labor Court if they felt they were dealt with unjustly," said Al-Ruwaili.
