Saudi Arabia raised the monthly minimum wage for its citizens by 33 per cent, according to a statement by the ministry of human resources and social development.
The minimum wage has been increased to 4,000 riyals ($1,066), Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, the minister of human resources and social development, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Workers paid between the previous minimum wage of 3,000 riyals and 4,000 riyals are counted as half of a Saudi employee, under the kingdom's Nitaqat programme for organisations. Any citizen being paid less than 3000 riyals is not counted under Nitaqat as part of the Saudisation programme.
Inflation in the kingdom accelerated to an annual 5.8 per cent in October 2020, according to recent data by the country's General Authority for Statistics.
The Nitaqat programme was introduced by the kingdom in 2011 to boost the employment of citizens in the private sector. The scheme rates organisations based on their compliance with quotas and classifies them into three bands. Companies with a higher rating have greater immigration benefits, while those with lower a rating face more restrictions.
“This is great news for all of us who have been struggling during the pandemic. For those who lost jobs and those of us who had pay cuts. The increase in salaries was much needed at this time, it’s such a relief," said Yasser AlBukhari, a business executive in Jeddah.
Part-time workers with a minimum salary of 3,000 and insurance are recognised as half of an employee by the Nitaqat programme.
“It encourages us to hire more workers that can work part-time or within a flexible work system structure especially since the nature of work varies with every company," Rayan Bakr, an event coordinator in Riyadh said following the decision to raise the minimum wage.
"I usually need to outsource specialists, volunteers and freelance consultants for events and now this gives us more confidence and assurance that we can have more Saudis join the team and improve our status under the Nitaqat programme.”
An employee working under the flexible work system is recognised by the programme, provided that they complete a total of 168 work hours.
“This is a great move for employees and employers alike. We never had a chance to work part-time and now freelancers will find more jobs since firms want to maintain the Saudi quota under Nitaqat,” said Abdullah Firas, a freelancer in Jeddah.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
RACE CARD
6.30pm: Handicap (Turf) US$175,000 1,000m
7.05pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (Dirt) $100,000 1,900m
7.40pm: Al Rashidiya Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,800m
8.15pm: Handicap (D) $135,000 2,000m
8.50pm: Al Fahidi Fort Group 2 (T) $250,000 1,400m
9.25pm: Handicap (T) $135,000 2,410m.
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Venom
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed
Rating: 1.5/5
More on Quran memorisation:
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Brief scores:
Toss: India, opted to field
Australia 158-4 (17 ov)
Maxwell 46, Lynn 37; Kuldeep 2-24
India 169-7 (17 ov)
Dhawan 76, Karthik 30; Zampa 2-22
Result: Australia won by 4 runs by D/L method
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
match info
Southampton 0
Arsenal 2 (Nketiah 20', Willock 87')
Red card: Jack Stephens (Southampton)
Man of the match: Rob Holding (Arsenal)
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
