Riyadh Saudi Arabia, First Published Jul 1, 2022, 11:46 PM IST
RIYADH: In Saudi Arabia, domestic workers can switch sponsorship to another employer if there are anti-worker measures from the employer, including suspension of salary for three months. This is after the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources amended the Domestic Work Law.
The amendment allows workers on domestic visas such as house drivers and other domestic workers to change their sponsorship without the employer’s permission. This concession is granted on a merit basis. Freedom to transfer employment to another employer without the permission of the sponsor in cases where action against the employee is taken by the employer, including withholding of wages. Withholding salary for three consecutive months without any reason, or delay in payment of salary in the intervening months, not having the sponsor present at Saudi airports to receive the visa upon arrival from the country, not providing accommodation and iqama within 15 days of arrival on the visa, not renewing the iqama within 30 days after the expiry date, assigning the worker to work in another house, posing a threat to health or safety Sponsorship can be changed without the employer’s permission for any reason such as assignment to hazardous work, misbehavior by landlord or family members.
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Saudi Arabia has more female tech startup entrepreneurs than Europe, study finds
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia has more female tech startup entrepreneurs than Europe, study finds. According to the latest research, the participation rate of women in the sector was 28 percent in the third quarter of last year. This is more than 10 percent higher than the European average. It was 17.5 percent in Europe during the same period.
In 2021, Saudi Arabia issued 139,754 new business licenses to women. According to the country’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, this is one of the highest growth rates globally.
Compared to 2015, the ministry added that this has recorded a 112 percent increase in commercial registrations issued to women entrepreneurs. In 2015, 65,912 commercial registrations were granted to women-owned businesses.
Through Saudi Vision 2030, the emphasis on private sector investment, attracting and retaining talent has fueled this rise, the report said.
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The study findings are based on interviews conducted between September and November with 70 technology entrepreneurs and more than 340 companies and their founders. The data was collected from more than 250 support firms and investment firms working with the country’s tech community.
Last Updated Jul 1, 2022, 11:46 PM IST