dr. ghazi bin abdulrahman algosaibi, minister of labor, has underscored the importance of orchestrating gcc labor market and replacing expatriate workers by nationals. in a statement to the saudi press agency, algosaibi said the labor ministers of the member states of the gulf cooperation council have submitted a study on the impact of the growing numbers of expatriate workers in the gcc states to the gcc ministerial council prior to forwarding it to the gcc summit. according to the study, based on recommendations of a workshop held at the headquarters of the secretariat general of the gcc in riyadh three months ago on the negative impact of the foreign laborers working in the gcc countries on the demographic ology of the gcc member states, the gcc leaders could decide whether to implement the workshop)s and later the labor ministers) recommendation that a maximum six-year timetable for the stay of a foreign worker in the gcc countries should be applied. exceptions are skilled academic and vocational workers and personnel whose professions could still be needed, the minister said, adding that this measure is not confined to the kingdom of saudi arabia alone as it has not been issued by its labor ministry but is pertinent to all gcc states. he drew the attention to the fact that this measure will not be effective unless approved by the summit. --spa
