The Ministry of Labor clarified today that following the royal order early today stating that the working days for governmental sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will be from Sunday to Thursday and the weekly off days are Fridays and Saturdays, it has received several queries whether this would apply to the private sector of the Kingdom. The MOL's spokesman Hattab Al-Enizi said that the current labor law states that the official weekly vacation in the private sector is only one day, that's Friday, and that the companies and establishments who grant its workforce two off days, were in fact just following the governmental system and so, they are expected to follow suit of the new development and offer them the Friday's and Saturday's as weekends. As for the new labor law which grants private sector employees two off days, this matter is still being studied by the Shoura Council, he said, adding that had it been approved, those two days would be Friday and Saturday as per the economic and social interest. The MOL urged all sectors and facilities who grant their personnel two days as weekly vacation to continue following this, to match with the royal order. Al-Enizi revealed that as the execution of this royal order coincides with the last week of the three-month amnesty given for illegals to rectify their Iqama and work situations, the Ministry has instructed its officers all over the Kingdom to continue receiving the expatriates and their representatives wishing to correct their situations on Thursday and Saturday on over-time payment bases as the Ministry is keen that the illegals would benefit from the last week before the July 3 deadline.
