Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Development on Sunday began the process of fully nationalising jobs in the kingdom’s gold and jewellery industry.
The move, which will make it illegal to employ foreigners in the sector, follows several failed attempts to Saudise industry jobs over the last 16 years, according to The Saudi Gazette.
It is estimated that the majority of the 30,000 individuals working in the sector are expatriates. They are spread across 6,000 gold shops.
The nationalisation programme is expected to provide 5,000 jobs for Saudis when it is fully implemented.
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During previous Saudisation efforts in the sector many businesses in Mecca and other cities were found to be operating under a form of fake Saudisation. This was partly because work in the sector has proved to be unattractive to Saudi citizens, with monthly salaries averaging SR3,000 ($800) to SR7,000 ($1,863).
Permanent inspectors have been appointed in markets and malls to punish violators, and shops found to be employing foreigners from Sunday will face a SR20,000 ($5,324) fine for each expat worker.
Saudi Arabia's gold and jewellery market is estimated to be worth SR14 billion ($3.72 billion).
Editor's note: The article has been adapted from its original source.
