The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently approved their Saudization or Nitagat Policy. This is their solution for the increasing number of unemployed Arab citizens. The Nitagat Policy requires their local companies to hire their fellow countrymen instead of expatriats. The regulation is classified into several categories depending on their performance in hiring Saudis. The Red and Yellow categories are prevented from renewing work visas of their foreign workers thus forcing these firms to terminate their expatriats and hire their locals within 9 to 11 months. The Green category on the other hand, is allowed to choose and sponsor visas of foreign workers from the red and yellow categories without approval from their employers.

Although the government said that this policy excempts foreign professionals such as doctors, nurses and engineers, these occupations are still at risks because of the incentives, such as government contracts, that the Kingdom of Saudi Aarabia will be giving out to those firms who will have good compliance rate on the Nitagat policy.

Presently, there are thousands foreign nurses working in the Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia. And still, there is an increasing demand of foreign nurses in their country. However, there are reported cases of foreign nurses who have been terminated after the Nitagat policy took effect. Migrante-Middle East reported to have 6 confirmed Filipino nurses who have lost their jobs due to Saudization.

As of now, the KSA is in need of 50,000 to 60,000 foreign nurses for the coming 6 months. But despite these numbers, foreign nurses are now in a limbo of the permanency of their employment due to this unexpected regulation.

Be Sociable, Share!

•