Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – The “Improving Contractual Relationship” initiative launched by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in Saudi Arabia, on Sunday (according to the Kingdom’s local time), has entered into an alternative to the sponsorship system.
The initiative is one of the initiatives of the National Transformation Program, and it seeks to “support the ministry’s vision in building an attractive job market and empowering and developing human competencies and developing the work environment,” according to the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources.
For decades, the kafala system has regulated the relationship between business owners and workers coming from outside the kingdom or expatriates. It was criticized by international organizations.
The initiative to improve the contractual relationship provides three main services: the job mobility service, and the development of exit, return and final exit mechanisms.
In addition to the initiative’s services for all expatriate workers in private sector establishments, within specific controls that take into account the rights of the parties to the contractual relationship.
And upon launching the initiative last November, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources said that it would work to “activate the contractual reference in the labor relationship between the employer and the worker based on the work contract documented between them through the Contract Documentation Program.”
The ministry added that this “contributes to reducing the disparity in the contractual procedures of the Saudi worker versus the expatriate worker, which will be reflected in the increase in employment opportunities for citizens in the labor market and the attraction of competencies,” according to the Saudi News Agency (SPA).
Under the initiative, job mobility service will be available for a migrant worker to another job upon the expiry of his work contract without the need for the employer’s approval, as well as exit and return to Saudi Arabia without the employer’s approval condition.
