RIYADH: For the special attention of Indian expatriates seeking work in Saudi Arabia. Indian workers who wish to apply for work visas will need to complete pre-verification of professional and academic qualifications from January 14. Saudi Arabia had decided to implement such a system six months ago.
This move will reduce the inflow of Indian labour as the number of training centres to ensure quality control of Indian labour is limited. Indians are the second largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia. As of 2024, more than 2.4 million Indian workers are living in Saudi Arabia. Of this, 1.64 million workers are in the private sector and 785,000 are domestic workers. Bangladeshis are the largest expatriate community in Saudi Arabia.
In line with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, the country had implemented many reforms to make expatriates' employment contracts more flexible. Qualification certification for certain jobs was part of these changes. According to a circular issued by the Saudi Mission in India, the professional verification process for issuing work visas will be implemented from January 14.
Henceforth it will be mandatory to prove professional and academic qualifications to get a work visa. Saudi Arabia is bringing new reforms with the aim of ensuring the quality of workers. The administration encourages employers and HR departments to check the certificates and information of expatriate employees. However, there is a widespread complaint that there are not enough centres for applicants to be verified.