RIYADH: Saudi Arabia stepped up localization efforts in the first quarter as the proportion of Saudis in the Kingdom’s workforce rose to 22.75 percent.
That compares with 20.37 percent during the same period a year ago, according to the National Labor Observatory (NLO) of the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf).
It represents a steady increase from 2017 when the localization rate was 16.46 percent, rising to 18.61 percent a year later and 20.21 percent in 2019, SPA reported.
Gulf states are stepping up efforts to reduce reliance on expatriates and provide more jobs for citizens as part of wider economic reform efforts aimed at reducing reliance on the oil industry. That process is especially visible in Saudi Arabia, the region’s largest economy.
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JEDDAH: Within the Kingdom’s private sector, the Saudization rate the percentage of workers who are Saudi nationals rose to 22.75 percent in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 20.37 percent during the same period last year.
According to a recent report by the National Labor Observatory (NLO), around 1.84 million Saudi employees have subscribed with the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) in Q1 of 2021.
Around 63 percent of subscribers were males, while 37 percent were females.
The Eastern Province came first with a Saudization rate of 25.7 percent, followed by Riyadh (24.5 percent), Makkah at (21.4 percent), Madinah (19.3 percent), and Asir (17.5 percent).
Saudi Arabia has the lowest dependence on foreign labor among Gulf Cooperation Council countries at around 77 percent, while Qatar has the highest, at about 94 percent, according to data from S&P Ratings.
Abu Dhabi: Saudi Arabia’s National Labour Observatory of the Human Resources Development Fund Hadaf has revealed that the rate of Saudisation in the private sector increased in Q4 2020 to 21.8 per cent of the total private sector workers, compared to 20.9 per cent in Q4 2019.
The figure has steady risen since 2015, when Saudis made up 17 per cent of the workforce.
The number of Saudi subscribers from the private sector in social insurance in Q4 last year was nearly 1.75 million, of whom 65.6 per cent were men, and 34.4 per cent were women, the statistics showed.
The Eastern Region achieved the first place in job localisation with a rate of 25.3 per cent, followed by Riyadh with 22.5 per cent, then Mecca region 21.4 per cent, Medina 19.2 per cent, and Asir at 17.6 per cent.
Tuesday, 2 February, 2021 - 10:15
Pandemic health measures are implemented at a restaurant in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. (SPA) Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat
The percentage of Saudi employees among the total workforce in the private sector rose to 21.8 percent during the fourth quarter of 2020, announced the National Labor Observatory (NLO) of the Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF).
Saudis made up 19.81 percent of the total workforce during 2018, a jump from 18.3 percent in 2017 and 16.4 percent in 2016.
According to the observatory, Saudi subscribers from the private sector in the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI) during Q4 were 1,749,571, with 65.6 percent males and 34.4 percent females.
The Eastern Province topped in the Saudization rate with 25.3 percent, followed by Riyadh with 22.5 percent, Makkah 21.4 with percent, Madinah 19.2 with percent and Asir 17.6 with percent.