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Saudi Malls, Supermarkets, Restaurants Told to Increase Hiring of Saudi Nationals

Makkah Mall, one of the shopping malls operated by Arabian Centers, is pictured in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, April 17, 2019. (Reuters)
Makkah Mall, one of the shopping malls operated by Arabian Centers, is pictured in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, April 17, 2019. (Reuters)
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Saudi Malls, Supermarkets, Restaurants Told to Increase Hiring of Saudi Nationals

Makkah Mall, one of the shopping malls operated by Arabian Centers, is pictured in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, April 17, 2019. (Reuters)
Makkah Mall, one of the shopping malls operated by Arabian Centers, is pictured in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, April 17, 2019. (Reuters)

Malls, supermarkets, restaurants and cafes in Saudi Arabia must increase their percentage of local hires, the Kingdom’s ministry of human resources and social development announced on Wednesday.

A set of three decisions announced by Minister Ahmed bin Suleiman al-Rajhi was expected to provide 51,000 jobs for Saudi men and women, state news agency SPA reported. The move is part of a wider governmental push to replace expatriate workers with Saudi citizens.

The first decision would limit only Saudis to work in malls and mall management offices, “with the exception of a limited number of activities and professions in these malls.”

Supermarkets, restaurants and cafes would have to increase the number of Saudi citizens on payroll, in keeping with ministry issued guidelines.

Penalties would be issued to commercial establishments that violate the new ordinances, according to SPA, the rules of which would be made available on the ministry website.

Unemployment among Saudi citizens fell to 12.6% in the fourth quarter of 2020 from 14.9% in the third quarter, official data from the world’s biggest oil exporter showed on Wednesday.

The government has been pushing through economic reforms since 2016 to create millions of jobs and reduce unemployment to 7% by 2030. The plans were disrupted by the coronavirus crisis, which sent oil prices plummeting last year.

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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
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China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.