(MENAFN) In its efforts to involve more Saudi nationals in the private sector, Saudi authorities told private companies to pay Saudi workers as much as their state-employed peers, Reuters reported.
Labour Minister Adel al-Fakeih announced that starting from February next year, Saudi workers who are paid less than the public-sector minimum wage of USD800 a month will not be counted fully in the mandated quota of Saudis a company must employ to avoid hefty fines.
The initiative is part of the Kingdom's wide-ranging labour reforms to tackle a job market where expats dominate nine-tenths of private-sector workers.
While the new rules encourage Saudis to consider work with the private sector by guaranteeing a decent wage, they will also increase costs for companies.
Fakeih also announced other new rules to come into operation in February; part-time Saudi workers will be treated as half workers for the purposes of Nitaqat quotas, while disabled people will count for four able-bodied workers.
In January, Fakeih said the Kingdom needed to create 3 million jobs for Saudi nationals, some of which could be achieved through replacing expatriate workers.
The Kingdom is also planning to enforce a two-day weekend for private companies, the ministry said recently.
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