Saudi Arabia has been introduced a policy for foreign nationals planning to work there as authorities across the kingdom tighten labour regulations.
As per Islamabad Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment, new rules related to leave and absenteeism have been implemented under Saudi labour law and will apply to all expatriate workers.
The individuals seeking employment in Saudi Arabia under the revised policy must be at least 21 years old and are required to strictly adhere to the terms outlined in their employment contracts.
According to the updated regulations after annual leave will be marked as absent who fail to return after annual leave. Additionally, employees who remain absent without informing their employer for 30 consecutive days, or accumulate 60 days of irregular absence, risk having their contracts terminated.
Officials say the measures are aimed at improving workplace discipline and ensuring stricter enforcement of labour laws among foreign workers.
Authorities have also advised Pakistani citizens to complete all legal requirements before traveling and to carefully review the new rules to avoid any issues.
The move comes after recent crackdowns on violations of residency and labour laws in Saudi Arabia. Reports suggest that the Saudi General Directorate of Passports issued over 15,000 decisions within a month through administrative committees handling cases related to residency, labour, and border security.
According to the Saudi Press Agency, these actions targeted both Saudi citizens and foreign residents, with penalties including fines, imprisonment, and deportation.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s General Directorate of Passports started deploying advanced technology at major airports in order to facilitate easy and fast travel for the Umrah pilgrims, especially during the busy Ramzan season.
The use of electronic gate (E-gate) technology has been introduced by the directorate in King Abdulaziz International airport in Jeddah and Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz international airport in Madinah.
The new system enables pilgrims to undertake the entry and exit procedure by themselves using biometric verification techniques.
Using biometric checks, travellers can travel through immigration in seconds without any manual processing being required.
