Ibrahim Badawood Al-Madinah It was only logical that the authorities would respond to requests by a large number of Saudi businessmen and expatriates to extend the initial three-month grace period granted by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah. Foreigners in violation of the Kingdom's labor and residency laws now have until Nov. 3 to correct their legal status. Many foreign workers who were keen to rectify their situations complained that their embassies, consulates, the passport department and labor offices were not able to cope with the huge volume of requests. It was natural that the extension was granted in light of a major loophole in the current recruitment system that enabled thousands of foreigners to flock to the country after buying work visas from Saudi traders under various job titles that many had no intention or necessary qualifications to work under. Then there are also those who came for Haj or Umrah on pilgrimage visas and overstayed to work here. This is of course in addition to the infiltrators who were smuggled across the Kingdom's southern borders. In short, it was simply impossible to correct a whole mass of anomalies in a short period of three months. It is important that we maintain some foreign hands due to the lack of qualified national cadres. It is also necessary for us to benefit from the experience of these foreigners and we appreciate their contributions to the national economy. We should not blame foreigners who are now attempting to correct their status for the debacle. Instead, we should put the blame squarely on the Saudis who traded in work visas allowing large numbers of illegal foreigners to be present in our country. It is imperative that the authorities look for the real reasons we are in such a predicament. While thanking the concerned departments for requesting an extension of the grace period, we should be more thankful to the King who approved this extension. My fear now is that some foreigners may think they have more than enough time to correct their status and wait until the last minute. This period will quickly pass without a number of foreigners taking advantage of it. This is a golden opportunity that they should not miss. I also hope that during this time our recruitment system will be corrected and the appropriate rules and regulations will be put in place to fix all loopholes.
