Firms Cut Salaries of Expat Engineers

Private sector firms have embarked on a new Saudization project, which seeks to align the procedures of engineering employment with the provisions of the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) and the Ministry of Labor.

The procedures involve reducing the incentives and bonuses for expatriate engineers, which has prompted some of them to resign recently. Meanwhile, there are moves to place a cap on the salaries of newcomers.

Hamad Al-Shagawi, chairman of the SCE, said that efforts are being made to convince the companies which have not done so to implement the procedures.

“The salary of a Saudi engineer does not exceed SR10,000, while that of his expat counterpart is not less than SR20,000”, said Al-Shagawi.

A source familiar with the SCE, who preferred anonymity, said that during a recent meeting that brought employers and members of SCE together, a final draft of regulations was drawn to deal with expat engineers in this regard.

Some employers said that a number of foreign engineers preferred to simply resign at the beginning of this Hijri year because they were not granted financial incentives and bonuses. The SCE promptly provided alternative Saudi workers.

(Source: JEDDAH: ARAB NEWS)