Pay SR2,400 or lose expats, ministry tells violating firms

Source: Saudi Gazette

Fatima Muhammad
Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH – Companies having a workforce of less than 50 percent of Saudi nationals risk losing their foreign workers if they fail to pay SR2,400 for each extra expatriate annually, Labor Ministry spokesman Hattab Al-Enezi told Saudi Gazette Sunday.

He, however, said that the amount, if not paid or paid only in part, will be carried forward to the next year. The money will be collected by the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF), which will also provide financial support to companies employing Saudis.

The system, he said, is fair to the companies as they have to pay only SR200 monthly for each expatriate while they will get HRDF support for each Saudi they employ with the amount disbursed according to their classification. The Fund will pay amounts ranging from SR2,000 to SR4,000 based on the company’s classification – yellow, green, perfect.

This financial support for companies employing Saudis will last for four years, he added.

The Labor Ministry official said expatriates’ rights are also being taken care of under the new system, explaining that they can transfer their sponsorship to other companies without the permission of their employers.

The decision, he hoped, would reduce the discrepancy between salaries of Saudis and expatriates and also increase the level of nationalization in institutions and industries.

Mohammad Suwailih, a member of the Youth Businessmen Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the decision will only add to the number of new businesses that are closing or leaving the market.

Before this decision small businesses were already struggling with time-consuming procedures that different government departments are asking them to abide by, he said. On top of that there are 11 payment procedures that new businesses have to fulfill, including renewal of iqama, visa, Zakah, social insurance fees.

The decision, Suwailih said, has placed all companies – established and startups – in one basket which was not fair.

The head of the Consumer Protection Association (CPA), Nasir Al-Tuwaim, said that they are already witnessing increase in prices, especially in the contracting sector. The price increases are justified by the companies as necessary to find ways to pay the new SR2,400 fee, he said. Al-Tuwaim criticized the ministry for arriving at this decision without consultations with them. “The ministry made this decision without consulting concerned bodies and also without doing any in-depth studies,” he added.

Al-Tuwaim called for the formation of a general authority for the protection of consumers from “pop-up decisions.” He countered criticism against CPA’s inaction to control prices and protecting consumers.

Last Updated : Monday, December 17, 2012 12:42 AM

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How to Change Profession in Saudi Arabia

Changing your Profession in Saudi Arabia doesn’t mean to leave your existing job and do something else but it means to change the profession that is mentioned on your Work Permit or Iqama. Why do someone want to change it? because it has huge impact on benefits and facilities you get in Saudi Arabia being a foreign worker. Including ability to apply for a Family Visa for yourself.
To Change Profession mentioned in your work permit you got to fulfill some requirements and rules. As per Saudi Arabian Ministry of labor you must be doing a technical job and earning a good lively hood to support your family in the Kingdom. That’s why labors and general staff are not entitled to apply for a family visa.
If an expatriate want to call his family on resident visa he must belong to a professional or technical job and his/her work permit should also state that. Every expatriate in Saudi Arabia has an Iqama (Resident permit) which states his profession.
If an expatriate is living in Saudi Arabia and his profession is not eligible for applying for a family visa he got an option to change his profession in his/her work permit. This doesn’t mean he has to change his job, but this is just like a requirement in documents.

1. Prerequisites to Changing Profession in Saudi Arabia

Once you have done Documents attestation from Saudi Consulate in your home country, bring your documents in Saudi Arabia and attest again from following.

• Consulate of your home countery
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Saudi Arabia (located in Jeddah or any other city called خارجیہ)

2. Submit an Application for Change of Profession

Your company / sponsor must issue a letter that you are an employee to them and doing same kind of work as per your qualification and degree and also you are intended to change your profession as per same work. Now translate your degree into Arabic from an approved Translation Center in Saudi Arabia.

Then Find a good General Service Agency/Agent. These agencies and agents have their offices at Jawazat Street in Jeddah and you can find by yourself in other cities. Discuss necessary details with them. They will tell their requirements and fees. Settle a suitable amount that is acceptable for both parties. Also make sure your new profession will be eligible for Applying a Family Visa, the best option to ask is nearest Istikdam Office (The department of Ministry of Labor which is responsible for issuing Family Visas to expatriates working Saudi Arabia.)

Once your profession is changed to a suitable profession you may apply for a family visa anytime. Further process is very simple that I will explain later.

How to Attest your Documents / Degree from Saudi Embassy - Pakistan

Suppose you are in Saudi Arabia and want to attest your degrees or documents from Saudi Embassy in Pakistan. Here is procedure to accomplish this mission

Requirements:

1.  Iqama Copy.
2.
     a.   Company Request Letter to Saudi Embassy (Pakistan) attested by Chamber of Commerce  + Foreign office in Saudi Arabia.
    b.  Company Request Letter to Saudi Cultural Office (Pakistan) attested by Chamber of Commerce  + Foreign office in Saudi Arabia. (Only for Degree, No Need for Diploma or Nikah Nama)
3.   NIC / CNIC.
4.   Passport copy with VISA Stamp stamped and signature from your Company administration only.
5.   Original Nikah Nama (Marriage Certificate), Degree/Diploma with Transcripts (Marks Details)
6.   Photo Copies of all your Nikah Nama,  Degrees / Certificates with Transcripts (minimum 5 sets).

Note:. 
1.    In case of Nikah Nama Please attest it from Magistrate of the Region where Nikah Nama was Registered
2.   Company Request Letter to Saudi Cultural Office (Pakistan) is required for Only Degree, No Need for Diploma or Nikah Nama

Procedure:

1.  Arabic Translations of Your Degree/Diploma/Nikah Nama to be attested.
2.  Attestation form Higher Education Commission HEC (in case of B.A / B.Sc or Higher) / Education Board (in case of F.A F.Sc or less) / Technical Board (in case of Technical Diploma)
3.  Attestation from Foreign office.
4.  Verification from Saudi Cultural Office.
5.  Last step, now your documents are ready for Attestation from Saudi Embassy Pakistan.
6. After you received your attested documents from Pakistan, you have to go yourself to attest them  from Ministry of Foreign Office (MOFA) Saudi Arabia without any hesitation.

If you want to attest your degree / documents from Saudi Embassy in Pakistan, please mail us: inhousetoday@gmail.com

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King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud عبدالله بن عبد العزيز آل سعود
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques
King of Saudi Arabia
Reign	1 August 2005 – present
Bayaa	2 August 2005
Predecessor	King Fahd
6th Commander of the Saudi National Guard
In Office	26 January 1963 – 16 November 2010
Predecessor	Saad bin Saud bin Abdulaziz Al Saud[1]
Successor	Mutaib bin Abdullah
Full name
Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman bin Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Saud
House	House of Saud
Father	King Abdulaziz
Mother	Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim[2]
Born	(1924-08-01) 1 August 1924 (age 88) Riyadh, Sultanate of Nejd
Religion	Islam

King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

Who is he?:

The king of Saudi Arabia, formally known as the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. (These are Mecca and Medina.) Abdullah is also prime minister and commander of the National Guard. He succeeded King Fahd upon his death in 2005, but had already been running most of the country's affairs since Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995.

Birthdate:

1924 in Riyadh, son of King Abdulaziz Al Saud. Has 36 brothers. Spent time living in the desert with Bedouins. Follows Salafi (Sunni fundamentalist) Islam.

Personal life:

It's estimated that the king has married about 30 women over his lifetime, though some say he keeps four or so wives at a time. It's also estimated that he has about 15 sons and 20 daughters. Abdullah breeds Arabian horses, and as an avid reader has established two libraries.

Politics:

King Abdullah has allowed miniscule freedoms in the traditionally repressive kingdom, such as supporting construction of the first Catholic Church in Saudi Arabia (for foreign workers) He's comfortable on the diplomatic/networking scene, enjoying a good relationship with U.S. leaders and becoming the first Saudi king to visit the Vatican.

On Terrorism:

Islamic radicals have never approved of the kingdom's close ties with the United States, but King Fahd's decision to let the U.S. use Saudi bases in the 1991 Gulf War particularly inflamed the Muslim world -- and Saudi native Osama bin Laden. Since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S., where 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi, Saudi Arabia has waged a high-profile campaign against terrorists in their country.

Future:

King Abdullah believes that Saudi Arabia should take greater strides in modern technological advancements, and has planned King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to open in 2009 with a $10 billion (U.S.) endowment. After Abdullah became king, women were allowed to run (and won) for the first time in an election (Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry), and he has expressed the desire for men and women to study side-by-side at his university. Reportedly, women will even be able to drive on campus. He has also called for global interfaith dialogue among monotheistic religions.

Quote:

"The first step on the path of salvation is the restoration of confidence in ourselves and in each other. Once confidence is restored, it will be accompanied by credibility. And if credibility is restored, then the winds of hope will blow. And when that happens, we will never allow any forces from outside the region to design the future of the region. Then no banner other than that of Arabism will hover over Arab land." -- King Abdullah addressing the 19th Arab League summit in March 2007

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques

Abdullah of Saudi Arabia

Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, is the King of Saudi Arabia. He ascended to the throne on 1 August 2005 upon the death of his half-brother, King Fahd.

Born: August 1, 1924 (age 88), Riyadh Parents: Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim Children: Mutaib bin Abdullah, Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah, Khaled bin Abdullah, Faisal bin Abdullah, Adila bint Abdulla Al-Saud, Mishaal bin Abdullah Al Saud, Aliya bin Abdullah, Sahab Bint Abdullah Al-Sa'ud, Maryam bin AbdullahMore Siblings: Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Sultan, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, Faisal of Saudi Arabia, Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Al-Bandari bint AbdulazizMore

Central Haram area to be tripled

Islam’s two holy mosques are witnessing the largest ever expansion in their history.
After launching the massive expansion works of the Grand Mosque in Makkah in Ramadan last year, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has now issued an order to expand the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah, a move described as “unprecedented”.
Under the move, the central Haram area will be expanded threefold.
Once the three-phase expansion is completed, the mosque will have a total area of 1.1 million square meters with the capacity to accommodate an additional 1.6 million worshippers.
The historic expansion will be made as part of a comprehensive plan that also encompasses development of the central Haram area and underdeveloped neighborhoods.
While lauding King Abdullah’s care in serving the two holy mosques and improving the facilities for the growing number of Haj and Umrah pilgrims, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais, head of the Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques, described the new expansion work of the Prophet’s Mosque as unprecedented.
He said the first phase of the expansion would cover construction of multistory buildings within the periphery of the existing northern courtyard, and the flat roof of the entire mosque structure after the expansion would have a total area of about 1.1 million square meters.
There will be a main gate for the new building with two main minarets and two side minarets at the corners of the building.
The first phase will add prayer space with a capacity to accommodate 800,000 worshippers.
In the second and third phases, the eastern and western courtyards will be added to the mosque and thus increasing the capacity by another 800,000 to add the capacity of the mosque to accommodate another 1.6 million.
According to sources, the expansion project also covers massive development of the central Haram area and the unplanned neighborhoods, with the holy mosque as the core center.
The expansion will draw on the rich Islamic history of the Prophet’s city and the Islamic architectural designs of the mosque. The surrounding buildings will also be developed on the same pattern.
Public squares close to the mosque and utilities in the area will also be developed. The role of the holy mosque as the civilian and spiritual heart of the city will be highlighted while implementing the plan.
For developing the area, the comprehensive plan suggested more residential, commercial, recreational and security facilities and services should be made available.
The expansion work will enable smooth pedestrian movement. The area’s development will be realized in a way facilitating the flow of pilgrims and visitors to the mosque easily and comfortably by ensuring accommodation for them in the area.
Also, the area will be developed to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims and visitors, while maintaining the status of the mosque as the central Islamic symbol both in architectural and spiritual realms.
According to the plan, the central Haram area will be surrounded by a new ring road heading south, east and north and a middle ring road heading west.
With the new borders, the area will be three times bigger than the present one.
The area is also designed to have increased capacity for accommodation, commercial firms and facilities in the service and security sectors to take advantage of increased pilgrims and visitors to the mosque.
The plan calls for initiating an extensive planning and design works for a public transport system to link the primary routes to the city’s historic places, Haramain Railway and the holy mosque.
The plan also recommends carrying out detailed engineering studies on a new ring road and new Kakiya road, in addition to construction of pedestrian tunnels and bridges to facilitate smooth movement of pilgrims during peak hours.
According to the plan, the central Haram area can create more development opportunities with the participation of the private sector through redevelopment of the region to make available more residential facilities.
The comprehensive plan also proposes working out a new general design for the development of underdeveloped regions around the central Haram area.
This will be achieved through construction of roads, setting up of public utilities and infrastructure facilities.
Also, the plan recommends the maximum elevation of buildings in the area will be 16 floors.
With the completion of the new expansion project, all residential areas of old Madinah city will become part the mosque complex.
The mosque witnessed two major expansions after the foundation of the Kingdom. The first one was during the time of King Abdul Aziz, the Kingdom's founder, in 1949.
Work on the expansion started in July 1951 and took nine years to complete.
The second one, ordered by King Fahd, started in 1984 and was completed in 1994.
The ground floor of the mosque has an area of 98,500 sq. meters accommodating 167,000 worshippers, the roof has an area of 67,000 sq. meters accommodating 90,000 worshippers and the surrounding plaza a total area of 235,000 sq. meters accommodating 450,000 worshippers.
The total area of the mosque and its plaza is 400,500 sq. meters accommodating 707,000 worshippers but at peak times as many as million worshippers could be in the mosque at any one time.

Pakistan to scan all NATO containers

All containers passing through Pakistan to supply NATO troops in Afghanistan are to be scanned to ensure they do not contain ammunition and weapons, customs officials said Friday.
Islamabad reopened overland routes to NATO convoys earlier this week after closing them in protest at a US air raid that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at a border post in November.
A number of trucks have already crossed into Afghanistan, but the vast majority are still at the Arabian Sea port of Karachi, where they have stood idle for the past seven months.
Ties between Washington and Islamabad, fractious allies in the “war on terror,” plummeted following the air strike and blockade, which ended after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said sorry for the deaths.
The two sides are still rebuilding trust and officials in Karachi said there would be thorough checks to ensure the convoys conformed to Pakistani parliamentary guidelines barring the transport of lethal supplies.
“We scanned the containers randomly in the past, but now every container will be duly scanned,” Karachi customs spokesman Qamar Thalho said.
He said any item “not mentioned in the agreements between Pakistan and Afghanistan and Pakistan and NATO” could be seized.
An official speaking on condition of anonymity said the move was intended to stymie opposition parties and religious groups — who have criticized the resumption of supplies.
“A strict scanning of the cargo is just one important measure not to give enough space to the opposition to exploit public sentiments,” the official said.
Islamist parties and campaign groups staged protests against the resumption of NATO supply lines in Karachi, Islamabad and the central city of Multan on Friday.
In Karachi, around 800 demonstrators from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party took to the city’s busiest road, waving banners and chanting anti-US and anti-government slogans.
Up to 1,500 trucks packed with NATO supplies have been stranded in Karachi during the blockade, unable to unload and find other work.
Rana Mohammad Aslam, vice president of the All Pakistan Goods Carrier Association, said 560,000 rupees ($6,000) compensation per vehicle would be paid to the truck owners by NATO subcontractors.
The land routes into Afghanistan are vital as the United States and NATO withdraw troops and equipment built up since the 2001 invasion.
The blockade had forced the United States and its allies to rely on longer, more expensive routes through Central Asia, Russia and the Caucasus, costing the US military about $100 million a month, according to the Pentagon.

{ Arab News}

Crown Prince Naif and world security

The Middle East is known for being the most volatile area in the world. Each country has a lot of challenges and security threat, be it outside or inside threat. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was and still is the most stable island in a sea of turbulence. And Saudi Arabia had and still has the burden of being the center of gravity not in the Middle East only, but in the whole world. Saudi Arabia is the center of the Islamic world and is the country where the Two Holy Mosques are located. Crown Prince Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior, was one of the few people who had influenced the world security. Saudi Arabia is a country, which has been looked at for guidance and advice by many countries on security issues.
Under the leadership of Crown Prince Naif, the Arab Interior Ministers Council adopted security strategies and agreements, such as the Arab Security Strategy in Baghdad in 1984, the Arab Preemptive Security Plan in Tunisia in 1985, the Arab Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism signed by the Arab Ministers of Interior and Justice in 1998 and the Arab Strategy Draft Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
The Kingdom shares thousands of kilometers of shoreline and thousands of kilometers of border with many countries. Every year Saudi Arabia receives millions of Muslims for Haj and millions more visit the Kingdom throughout the year for Umrah. So, how does Saudi Arabia manage to ensure security and be able to make arrangements to ensure all facilities and comforts for its religious and business visitors without having any impact on the rest of the population?
To try to understand these complicated issues, we have to ask who is Crown Prince Naif and what he had stood for and how did he manage to do these?
Crown Prince Naif was born in 1934 and passed away on Saturday, June 16, 2012. His life has been full of achievements in every aspect. He was a man of tough missions when it comes to security of the country. In the year 1975, he became the minister of interior. It was a time when the cold war was at its peak and it was the time when ideology could shift the toughest political sands. The Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia has been assigned the most difficult task because it is responsible for securing the inside and outside of the Kingdom, which covers an area of about one million square miles. The ministry is responsible for the police, passport control, anti-drug enforcement, civil defense, traffic control and the coast guard. Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries that has been able to achieve maximum control on internal security without being a police state. Saudis have never heard of security cameras until recently. Saudis didn’t know the meaning of heavy door locks.
Ten years ago, the most shocking terrorist attack was committed and the Kingdom also became a target of terrorists.
Crown Prince Naif took over the security of the country and the brainwashed young deviants came to realize that Saudi Arabia was no place for adventure. The whole world was surprised when they heard of a program of rehabilitation for any young man who was brainwashed by foreign elements. They were treated with respect as humans and citizens. Prince Naif was the man behind those achievements.
As the interior minister, the prince paid special attention to counter extremist ideology and terrorism. He was convinced of the need to deal with the extremism at an intellectual plane. He established a special department, called the Intellectual Security Department, within the Ministry of Interior in 2007. His activities in this line included the establishment and funding of the Prince Naif Chair for Intellectual Security at the King Saud University in 2008, funding the Prince Naif Chair for National Unity Studies in Imam Muhammad Islamic University in 2009, supporting dozens of research studies on the phenomenon of extremism and its links.
In the outside world, when a country is being selected to host a sport event, the security plans start the same day. A security check for the hundreds of sports fans begins. Saudi Arabia hosts millions of pilgrims every year. And they move from one spot to another in the vicinity of Makkah and it is done year after year without any security breach. Crown Prince Naif used to supervise the whole event from day one to the end of the pilgrimage season. All departments of the Ministry of Interior are mobilized.
With the aim of promoting Islamic learning, the prince instituted prizes such as the Naif bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud International Prize for Sunnah and Contemporary Islamic Studies and the Prince Naif Competition for Memorization of Hadith.
Prince Naif was like a father figure to the Ministry of Interior people. And he was in close contact with all threads of the Saudi society. When some Saudi security personal lost their lives, Prince Naif took a direct care of the fathers, mothers, sons, daughters and wives of all dead security personal. They were given housing, jobs and allowances in addition to their regular government monthly pay. The Interior Ministry personal knew they had the best insurance. Prince Naif didn’t only build a security force, but he built hospitals, schools and modern day infrastructure for the ministry’s personal. Many of the Ministry of Interior’s personal had been educated in the best schools in the Kingdom and in the West. Prince Naif built the men before he built the infrastructure. He was educated in the best political schools, which is called the House of Al Saud.
Prince Naif was appointed crown prince and deputy premier on Oct. 27 last year.
As the minister of interior, the prince was noted for his commendable fight against terrorism, which resulted in stamping out the extremist menace from Saudi Arabia for good.
Born in Taif, the prince received his early education in religion, modern culture and diplomacy at the royal court. He also benefited from the vision of his father who was known for his political acumen and unparalleled statesmanship.
He was the vice governor and the governor of Riyadh at an early age. This gave him an edge in dealing with public and knowing all members of the families and tribes in the Saudi Kingdom.
Prince Naif has left us for heaven Inshaa Allah. But, he left us a country, which is an example in internal security, something many countries are hoping for. Prince Naif made the sense of security in Saudi Arabia simple reality.