A total of 13 Saudi recruitment companies have been granted preliminary licenses by the Ministry of Labor to employ and provide foreign workers – including domestic workers and drivers - to local companies, citizens and expatriates. A source at the Ministry of Labor was quoted Sunday in the Arabic media as saying that these companies will soon be granted permanent licenses which will allow them to start operating. Hattab Al-Enezi, Ministry of Labor spokesman and director general of the ministry's public relations and media department, told an Arabic newspaper that permanent licenses will be given once other requirements have been met. A recruitment company has to have capital of SR50 million to qualify for a license application, he pointed out. Al-Enezi said the ministry has held workshops with recruitment companies to discuss various challenges they might face including registration certificates, regulations and procedures, how to obtain permanent licenses and other related issues. Recruitment companies will soon be able to provide domestic workers and drivers to Saudi citizens and expatriates for salaries ranging between SR1,000 and SR1,200. The source at the Ministry of Labor said the salary of a worker will be based on supply and demand and recruitment costs. Services include hiring out workers of all professions except those in specialized professions such as medicine and engineering, the source pointed out. The person who hires a worker won't have to bear the cost of iqama and visa fees, the source added. Companies will be required to provide safe accommodation for their workers in their locations and both parties have to agree on the housing allowance, the source explained. Each recruitment company has the right to obtain 1,000 visas for each company branch. Each company should have a minimum of five branches, the source said, adding that the number of visas can be increased but this depends on economic feasibility. “All 13 recruitment companies have been issued tentative licenses. The Ministry of Labor will extend the period of each license separately to avoid any delay in completing the licensing procedures of the Ministry of Commerce.” These companies will start operating once final licenses have been granted, which will be soon, the source said. The source added that these companies will be the sponsors of workers and will hire out male and female workers to citizens, expatriates and companies. The source called on other recruitment firms to merge and form big companies which can compete in the marketplace. The regulations overseeing recruitment companies provide for mediation, licensing procedures, fair competition, and professional and effective services, the source said.
