Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Alsheikh Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Alsheikh, Grand Mufti, called upon the Ministry of Labor to reconsider its decision to impose annual fees of SR2,400 on each foreign employee working for companies that have not met the Saudization quota, Al-Hayat newspaper reported on Saturday. The Grand Mufti said the fee is unjustifiable, adding the ministry should deal with this issue immediately. Al-Alsheikh made the remarks following a lecture at Imam Turki Bin Abdullah Mosque of Riyadh on Thursday. The ministry should explain the basis and grounds on which it imposed this annual fee on foreign workers. “What were the real reasons behind such a decision?” the Grand Mufti asked. “Did it make the decision due to logical reasons? I believe the ministry should reconsider its decision wisely. Is this money spent on public services?” The Grand Mufti called for paying the salaries of workers on time and treating them kindly and with compassion. He stressed that any company or business which had paid the fee should follow up with concerned authorities and claim its rights legally.
