Fakeih: Three months are enough for status change

Three months are enough for illegal workers to correct their status in the Kingdom, Minister of Labor Adel Fakeih told local media yesterday.
Fakeih said his ministry will be working with the Ministry of Interior and other relevant parties to finalize the campaign smoothly and transparently.
He was referring to the three-month grace period announced recently by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for expatriates to abide by the country's labor laws.
Last week, Fakeih said his ministry would provide all the necessary technical services for illegal workers to sort out their documentation.
He said this was in the interests of the nation.
He said the ministry wants to see more Saudis employed and reduce the country's reliance on foreign workers.
The minister said he expects countries to reduce their demand for work visas because local firms will try to meet staff requirements from workers residing inside the Kingdom.
He said the Labor Ministry was not targeting expatriates specifically, but rather trying to correct imbalances in the local labor market.
“Achieving this goal will not be limited to the implementation of the correction campaign during the specified period but will depend on taking further measures characterized by continuity and effectiveness,” he was quoted as saying.
Further changes are in the pipeline. Proposals have already been submitted to King Abdullah and are being discussed by the Shoura Council, Fakeih said.