Daijiworld Media Network - Jeddah (SP)

Jeddah, Jul 30: As per reports, Saudi Arabia is planning to restrain employers from recruiting foreigners to certain hospitality jobs in that country. The decision which was made known through a statement made by the labour ministry on Friday will be applicable to resorts, hotels rated three stars and above, and hotel apartments rated four stars and above.

As per the decision, front desk jobs to management positions have to be offered to Saudi citizens. The posts like restaurant host and health club supervisor will also have to be offered to locals in that country. Posts such as drivers, doormen, porters etc are exempted from this order.

Saudi Arabia is faced with unemployment problem that stood at 13 percent last year. It has plans to give a boost to tourism and hospitality industry. The government wants to replace foreigners who are working in most of the concerns, with locals. The government there feels that stricter measures are necessary to provide employment too Saudi citizens. The country had for long been reliant on cheap labour from foreign countries.

There is however, a notion in a section of the businesses that recruiting locals will steeply increase cost of recruitment and lower productivity.

The above rule is likely to come into effect on December 29 this year. As per the thrust given on employing locals, many hospitality units like hotels have been recruiting Saudi people for front desk jobs since the last some years. Saudi citizens, who were earlier rejecting certain kinds of jobs, have begun to accept them because of the unemployment problem.