Shura member calls for higher minimum wage for Saudis

Saudi Shura Council member and vice chairman of its financial committee, Fahad bin Juma, has recommended raising the minimum wage of the Saudi workers registered with social insurance to SAR 6,000.

In a statement to the Jeddah-based daily Al Madina, he also recommended halting recruitment of expatriates for jobs other than limited contractual work.

In his view, the oversupply of foreign labor has caused an imbalance in the employment market, leading to the drop of salaries of Saudis as well as longer working hours.

According to Argaam reports, the Saudi Ministry of Labor and Social Development said that the employment rate of Saudi nationals in the private sector in 2016 dropped by 37 percent compared to the previous year.