Saudi Arabian authorities have said the new law which bans recruitment of expatriate workers above the age of 60 will not apply to professionals such as doctors, university professors, consultants and engineers.
Saudi Labour Minister Ghazi Al-Gosaibi issued a decision in this respect, changing a previous instruction given to labour offices across the country.
"Professionals required by the country such as doctors, university professors, consultants, engineers, technicians, experts and others in the same category will be exempted,"the Saudi Press Agency said, quoting a ministerial statement issued by Gosaibi.
The Arab News reported that the recruitment ban was being applied only to unskilled workers. "It will not affect skilled workers and will not change the situation of expatriate workers already in the Kingdom," he added.
Foreign workers, especially those who are 60, welcomed the revised decision. "We appreciate this gesture," said Abdullah Moopen, president of the Saudi-Kerala Doctors Forum.
He said the decision would allow older expatriates to remain in the Kingdom in order to serve the nation. "It will ensure continuity of service until such time as Saudi experts get the training and experience needed to take over."
The ministry imposed the recruitment ban on unskilled foreign workers as part of its efforts to create more job opportunities for Saudis.
Last year, recruitment visas for private companies were cut by 17.8 per cent to 684,201 from 832,244 the year before. The new labor law insists that the number of Saudi workers in a private company should be at least 75 per cent.
