Source : NEW INDIAN EXPRESS NEWS
NEW DELHI: Six months after proposing the idea, Saudi Arabia has issued a circular requiring the pre-verification of professional and academic qualifications of Indian workers for all work visa applications from January 14.
This move could reduce the influx of Indian workers due to the limited number of qualified training centres to ensure quality control of Indian workers.
Indians are the second-largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia.
As of 2024, over 2.4 million Indian workers live in Saudi Arabia, including 1.64 million in the private sector and 785,000 in domestic work. Bangladesh leads with 2.69 million expat workers.
Indian workers, including women, remain a crucial part of Saudi Arabia’s labour market and bring remittances back to India.
However, as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and efforts to employ more of its nationals in the workforce, the Saudi labour sector is undergoing changes, including stricter certification requirements for respective jobs.
All applicants will now need to validate academic credentials, as the country aims to facilitate smoother access to its labour market and improve worker retention rates.
Establishment owners and HR departments are encouraged to verify the certificates and information provided by expatriate employees. This initiative is expected to streamline recruitment and enhance the quality of the workforce in the kingdom.
As per a circular issued by the Saudi mission in India, “professional verification procedures for issuing work visas will be implemented from January 14.”
“Therefore, the professional verification will become one of the mandatory requirements for issuing work visas,” read the circular.
However, there is widespread complaint that there are not enough test centres where applicants can get verified.
“For instance, test centres for car drivers are located in Ajmer and Sikar in Rajasthan. Applicants, especially those from the South, are compelled to travel long distances to these locations, facing both linguistic and logistical issues,” said Haris Beeran, a member of Rajya Sabha, who has been taking up such issues with the authorities.
Sources also point out that with a “clear vision to support Saudization efforts,” which focuses on giving more opportunities to the local population, the aim is to “raise recruitment standards and attract skilled expatriate talent.” This will elevate recruitment standards.
They added that this has also led to improvements in the situation of Indian workers. “The initial stage of addressing labour disputes is a mediation process aimed at reaching an amicable resolution between the worker and employer. If this fails, the case is referred to the labour court, and it is a streamlined process,” said a source.
On the working conditions for women, the spokesperson highlighted Saudi Arabia’s progress in supporting female employment, positioning the country as a favourable environment for their success.
SOURCE :- NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
