Plans to reduce Saudi Arabia’s reliance on ex-pats for its hospitality sector, hotels and resorts will see companies banned from recruiting foreign workers, according to the Labour Ministry.
The Ministry said the decision will apply to all resorts and hotels rated at three stars or above and hotel apartments rated four stars-plus and higher. Saudi Arabia wants the jobs to go to its own citizens by the end of this year.
The jobs that must go to Saudis range from front-desk positions to middle and higher management. There are exceptions, including drivers, doormen and porters. Other employment positions that will be reserved for Saudi nationals include health club supervisors and restaurant hosts.
Unemployment in Saudi Arabia hit nearly 13 per cent in 2018, leading to the restrictions on recruitment, replacing foreigners who dominate most private sectors in the blue collar and service industries.
The downside to the proposals, say the employers, is that it will increase costs through higher wages. Many hotels have already started hiring more locals for front-desk jobs in the past few years. It is representative of a cultural shift in which Saudis are now taking up jobs that would once have been considered undesirable.
