DAMMAM: Adel Fakieh, Minister of Labor, Wednesday ruled out any changes to the sponsorship system in the Kingdom. He said this during a visit to Zamil Industrial Company. The minister said that any changes to the sponsorship system is unlikely. However, he added, studies regarding the best possible ways to deal with “temporary work permits” are under way. Pointing toward a mechanism under consideration, Fakieh said without elaborating that with the implementation of the system the rate of Saudization will be improved. The study, he said, will be completed in three months. The ministry is holding workshops with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and businessmen for consultation on that issue, he added. “The new mechanisms will involve sanctions and incentives for companies,” he said. Fakieh also met with businessmen at the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry. During the meeting, the minister said he was keen to communicate with the private sector. The ministry, Fakieh said, is responsible for serving job seekers, expatriates and companies, and they all have the right to be listened to “because we have a sincere desire to find a common ground in the service of the labor market.” Meanwhile, Fakieh visited the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, along with Ali Bin Naser Al-Ghufais, Governor of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation; Ahmad Al-Mansour Al-Zamil, Director of the Human Resources Development Fund; a number of members of the Eastern Province Chamber and officials from the Ministry of Labor. The minister was briefed on the university's Maher Program, which is a joint program with the Human Resources Development Fund and aims to rehabilitate secondary school students. The minister noted the possibility of launching programs between the ministry and the university, considering the latter as an important educational institution producing high-quality cadres for the labor market, and its role in development shown in its educational and research outcomes.
