Companies in Saudi Arabia adapting to coronavirus measures

RIYADH: Companies in Saudi Arabia that do business abroad are trying to mitigate the effects of government decisions to restrict travel to and from the Kingdom to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Those decisions include restricting Saudi citizens and residents from traveling to 53 countries that have experienced a surge in coronavirus cases.
The measures are in line with the World Health Organization’s instructions that aim to limit the spread of coronavirus globally.
Some companies are preparing for scenarios whereby employees will be unable to return to work in the Kingdom, or have to work from home.
Mohammed Al-Subaie, head of HR at a Saudi media company, said the government’s 72-hour grace period for citizens and residents to return meant that “all our Saudi employees who were abroad before the travel restrictions were able to come back.”
He added that the company’s foreign employees who are based in the Kingdom but went abroad on business trips were also able to return during the grace period.
“They’ll receive their full benefits and salaries even if they’re working abroad,” Al-Subaie said. “Accountability will be based on their productivity. It’s an unusual case and we understand the situation.”
Rakan Al-Ghamdi, HR manager at Dumat Al-Jandal Wind Co., said it has one French employee, a resident in the Kingdom, who is abroad on business and has not been able to return due to the travel restrictions. He added that the employee will continue working from abroad until he can return.
Al-Ghamdi said his company has prepared its workers for such scenarios via drills and workflow lists in order to minimize disruption.
“We’ve instructed employees to take their laptops home with them every day, and to be prepared to work from home in case they’re asked to do so,” he added.