JEDDAH: The Ministry of Labor has stepped up efforts to force private sector companies to provide health insurance for Saudi employees and their families. The ministry said it has ordered labor offices across the country to increase their monitoring of private sector firms to ensure they are in compliance with cooperative health security regulations, and to provide the ministry with “urgent reports” of any failures to provide Saudi staff and dependents with all their rights. The ministry has also appealed to Saudis working in the private sector to inform “their nearest labor office” of any companies failing to provide them with health insurance coverage in order for the authorities to take the appropriate action and enforce the law. Cooperative health security is compulsory under the terms of a ruling issued by Abdullah Al-Rabeah, Minister of Health and Chairman of the Cooperative Health Security Council, two years ago. Offenders are liable for fines in sums matching health insurance fees and can be barred temporarily or permanently from recruiting foreign staff.
