Under the Nitaqat system for Saudization of jobs, hiring a disabled Saudi is considered equal to hiring four able-bodied Saudis. A source from the Ministry of Labor and Social Development said the ministry is encouraging private companies to hire more disabled employees by offering Nitaqat points. "The disabled employee must have a card issued by the ministry stating the type of disability. The jobs provided to the disabled employees must be suitable for them. The ministry has a strict anti-discrimination policy to ensure the rights of disabled employees," he said. The source said the ministry runs inspection campaigns to ensure that companies have hired the minimum number of disabled people required. "The inspectors will also ensure that the disabled employees do not face any work-related discrimination such as lower salaries and denial of promotions due to their disability," he said. The source said disabled employees have the right to be trained and participate in self-development programs offered to other employees in any organization or company. "To prove their disability, the disabled candidates must produce a medical report issued by the Ministry of Health or a public hospital or a card by the Ministry of Labor and Social Development documenting that he or she is indeed disabled," said the source. He said the disabilities include both physical and mental impediments, such as visual, hearing, mobility, learning and speech difficulties. "Employees with disability have the right to demand necessary arrangements for them at the workplace. The employer is not allowed to relieve an employee who acquired new disability," said the source. The source also said the Saudi Code for Architecture requires all public buildings in the country to be disabled-friendly. "The latest statistics by the General Organization for Social Insurance reveal that there are 65,580 disabled employees working in 31,790 private sector firms registered with the organization," said the source.
