Headlines!!!

seeker of truth wrote:

Headline today!

Nitaqat expanded

The Labor Ministry has added four more economic sectors, including petrol pumps, to the Nitaqat system as part of its efforts to create more job opportunities for Saudis.
Other three sectors are: works related to stone, granite and tiles; transport of goods outside cities; and transport of passengers outside cities, the ministry said. “By this we have brought 49 economic activities under the Nitaqat system,” the ministry said.


...As a result of Nitaqat, 250,000 Saudis were employed in less than a year. Before introducing the system in Shawwal 1432H, it took five years to create such numbers of jobs for Saudis. Nitaqat also helped 54,000 women get jobs within seven months.


click here to see the full report

Wow maybe Saudis will be washing their own cars before I leave!

maybe! But with competitive salary!

Today's headline!

No woman in judiciary

No Saudi woman is working in the judiciary and public prosecutor's office, the Ministry of Civil Service said in its annual report for 2010.
The report indicated that the unemployment rate among women in the Kingdom has reached 29.6 percent.
“Most of the employed women work in education and health sectors,” it said, adding that women have very little representation among diplomats.
“Only one female diplomat works among the 973 male diplomats,” the report pointed out.
Inversely, the percentage of women in teaching jobs exceeds that of men.

click here to see the full report

Today's headline!

Advanced Nitaqat’ to focus on salaries

The Labor Ministry has announced plans to launch an “Advanced Nitaqat” scheme with the aim of improving the salaries of Saudi employees.
Companies that provide salaries below specific levels will not be counted under the Nitaqat system, said Labor Minister Adel Fakeih

...The minister described Nitaqat as “a just, realistic and practical” Saudization system. He said the scheme helped find jobs for 250,000 citizens within a year. “We have also got 50,000 Saudi women employed in less than a year.”
The minister said companies that did not comply with Nitaqat system would not be able to renew their employees’ work permits.

...An intensive campaign will be launched within the next three months to track down violators of iqama regulations, he warned.


click here to see the full report

@SoT - Are you a News Reporter / News Reader who's caught in the wrong job ?

Hahaha both!!!
Just wanna share news that might influence expat's stay in Saudi Arabia! So at least we are aware!

Sorry if it annoys you or anyone!

One more thing I am utilizing my 5GB subscription to  STC!

seeker of truth wrote:

Hahaha both!!!
Just wanna share news that might influence expat's stay in Saudi Arabia! So at least we are aware!

Sorry if it annoys you or anyone!

Hey, it doesn't annoy anyone. So don't think like that.
You're doing this religiously, so I wanted to ask

You're doing the right thing But only providing links from the websites wont help. You should go behind the doors and uncover the story.

Hahaha! Don't worry, if I become a full pledge reporter I'll do what you had advised me! Lol!

attention!!!

Ministry won’t entertain requests for cancellation of ‘hurub’ from Sept. 17


The Ministry of Labor has instructed all offices not to entertain the requests for canceling ‘hurub’ (disappearance of foreign workers) applications, effective Sept. 17.
“The measure was taken to reduce the number of applications we receive from employers regarding hurub of their foreign workers,” said Ahmed bin Saleh Al-Humaidan, deputy minister for labor affairs.
He said the ministry would impose tough punishment on companies and individuals who make unlawful and unjust hurub announcements to deny their workers financial or legal rights.
“Companies and individuals have no right to cancel the applications stating the hurub of their workers. At the same time, workers have the right to do so if their employers had presented such applications to cheat them,” Al-Humaidan said.

...Referring to the punishment for those employers or sponsors who make false ‘hurub’ announcements, Al-Humaidan said: “For the first offense, we’ll stop our services to the company or establishment for a year. For the second offense, we’ll stop our services for five years.”

...Fahd Al-Nuwaisser, a lawyer, said: “The ‘hurub’ takes place when a worker disappears for a long time without informing the sponsor. But some sponsors make ‘hurub’ announcements in order to get rid of their workers and get new work visas. In this situation, the worker has to prove that he is still working with the company, presenting witnesses of his colleagues or necessary documents. This will help them get the ‘hurub’ status removed.”
Al-Nuwaisser also pointed out that some sponsors take revenge from their foreign workers by making ‘hurub’ announcements against them, especially when they make any complaints against the sponsors at the labor office. “‘hurub’ has become a sword that has been used by some sponsors to threaten their workers.”

click here to see the full report

More bad news: Two day weekly off - Not practical for Pvt Sector

JEDDAH: A plan to introduce a five-day week for private sector employees is being opposed by some senior officials in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), according to a report.

.....

A number of economists, however, indicated that the five-day week would increase staff performance.
They say that the performance of workers who take a two-day break is 30 percent higher than those who toil for six days in a week.

Click on the link above for full article.

Why is it a bad news Dave?

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Why is it a bad news Dave?

Because I work for the Pvt sector and I expect a two-day weekend.

Oh Man, I remember how bad was a 5.5 days week schedule when I was in Retail biz sector some 7 years back. Anything less than 2 days off can't be called a weekend imho. I work in consulting now (Pvt sector) and thanks God, in most consulting companies, the weekend is 2 days long.

My story is just the opposite. I worked with Consulting for the past 5 years, before joining the Retail sect (QSR).

Miss those 2 day weekends badly. How I wish that the 1.5 day weekend had more than 24 hours/day

ghanshyampdave wrote:

More bad news: Two day weekly off - Not practical for Pvt Sector

JEDDAH: A plan to introduce a five-day week for private sector employees is being opposed by some senior officials in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), according to a report.

.....

A number of economists, however, indicated that the five-day week would increase staff performance.
They say that the performance of workers who take a two-day break is 30 percent higher than those who toil for six days in a week.

Click on the link above for full article.

Just like the last sentence picture report said! Employees who has two days off is more productive than those who do not have!
Two days off! Two days off!

Ya my performance will double with a two-day weekend, twice a week

@SoT: Why did you stop posting news on this thread ?
This was my only regular source of news / infotainment

ghanshyampdave wrote:

@SoT: Why did you stop posting news on this thread ?
This was my only regular source of news / infotainment

Sorry just have my break for eid!
I'll be back very soon!lol

seeker of truth wrote:

Just like the last sentence picture report said! Employees who has two days off is more productive than those who do not have!
Two days off! Two days off!

I'm with you guys. 2 days off really adds a lot to performance and agility

TheLegendLeads wrote:

seeker of truth wrote:

Just like the last sentence picture report said! Employees who has two days off is more productive than those who do not have!
Two days off! Two days off!

I'm with you guys. 2 days off really adds a lot to performance and agility

I hope they will make it 3!

Second wave to "No to Smoking" Campaign of KSA

GCC to enforce legislation on cigarette labeling


RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and all other member states of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are on course to become the latest to require the use of graphic warning labels on every cigarette packet brought into their territories.
Some of the pre-selected photos from the World Health Organization (WHO) explaining the health hazards pictorially will be published onto cigarette packets coming into the Kingdom and the other Gulf states within a few weeks from now.
“The graphics on tobacco products will warn the users about the perils of smoking more strongly,” said Tawfik Khoja, director general of the Executive Board of the Health Ministers’ Council for the GCC states, here Thursday.

click here to see the full report

Yes. Soon we'll start seeing weird (actually horrible) pictures all around like in other countries.

Be honest guys, if you were to lead a private business, would you let 2 days off for your employees?

adnanhashmi wrote:

Be honest guys, if you were to lead a private business, would you let 2 days off for your employees?

A thoughtful employer needs efficiency and effectiveness rather than the number of hours. Worldwide surveys confirmed so many times that employees efficiency increased if more off hours were given; 30% in the context of this thread So what's the harm? It's all Win-Win situation.

TheLegendLeads wrote:

adnanhashmi wrote:

Be honest guys, if you were to lead a private business, would you let 2 days off for your employees?

A thoughtful employer needs efficiency and effectiveness rather than the number of hours. Worldwide surveys confirmed so many times that employees efficiency increased if more off hours were given; 30% in the context of this thread So what's the harm? It's all Win-Win situation.

That's what you called management!

It's not just about that working hours but also the efficiency.
Not just the quantity, but also the quality!

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Yes. Soon we'll start seeing weird (actually horrible) pictures all around like in other countries.

Yeah! And I really wonder how will people especially "smokers" respond to that!

Cigarette will be commercialized like "you wanna shorten your life, buy me!".

Will there be anyone still gonna buy it?

Let's see what will gonna happen next!

@Adnanhashmi: So you're a businessman, and won't let your employees off for more than once a week

Some researchers have proven that by working 4 days a week, the employees have their maximum efficiency.

@SoT - It will take the entire world 20 years to implement that. And Saudia will take another 20 years for the same.

KSA will take 200 more years.

A total of 220 years!

Good going!

"Economists are unanimous that the plan to introduce a five-day workweek will increase the overall productivity of the private sector, while reducing the number of unemployed Saudis.
“A two-day weekend in the private sector will help increase worker’s productivity because they will be more relaxed mentally after two days of rest. It will add to the national economy without any additional cost."

Read full report here: http://www.arabnews.com/economists-busi … -unfounded

TheLegendLeads wrote:

Good going!

"Economists are unanimous that the plan to introduce a five-day workweek will increase the overall productivity of the private sector, while reducing the number of unemployed Saudis.
“A two-day weekend in the private sector will help increase worker’s productivity because they will be more relaxed mentally after two days of rest. It will add to the national economy without any additional cost."

Read full report here: http://www.arabnews.com/economists-busi … -unfounded

Are the Govt. people reading our EB posts by any chance?

No except the scanning services.

Hope they're not scanning my activities on the internet

Apparently they aren't. Otherwise....

Otherwise what ?

They'll join my forces (Counter Strike)

BEIRUT: A smoking ban in all closed public spaces, including coffee shops, restaurants and bars, went into force in Lebanon on Monday under new legislation that promises hefty fines for lawbreakers.
In a country considered a “smokers’ paradise,” the law took effect a year ago in airports, hospitals and schools, but took hold on a wider basis on Monday, also banning tobacco advertisements criticized for luring youths into the habit.
Smokers caught lighting up in a closed public space face a $90 penalty, while restaurant or cafe owners who turn a blind eye to offenders could be fined anything from $900 to $2,700.

http://www.arabnews.com/lebanon-smoking … king-anger

It seems that those 200 years and 20 years, TLL & Dave are not that far away for KSA!


Since the campaign is for ask GCC!

Now expats are being looked upon as threat to GCC's security and economy. Read on