In an effort to push their locals to get more jobs, Saudi Arabia announced Monday that they planning to tighten restrictions on foreign workers so that companies will be forced to hire more local citizens.
The new policy could help the conservative kingdom achieve one goal of economic reforms that were launched in 2016 to help decrease the number of jobless Saudis from the current 12.1 percent to 9 percent by 2020.
By making it harder for firms to employ low-paid foreign workers, thereby raising costs, the policy may complicate other aspects of the reform drive such as developing private sector businesses and diversifying the economy beyond oil, the Khaleej Times reported.
The new rule is expected to have a significant effect on 12 million foreigners working in Saudi Arabia who are doing many of the strenuous, dangerous and lower-paid jobs previously declined by 20 million Saudi citizens. As of last year, over 2 million overseas Filipino workers have been confirmed to be making a living doing various work in the Middle Eastern country.
