Key Points
- Beginning July 2021, foreign
nationals looking for employment in the private sector of Saudi
Arabia will be required to take exams based on their field of work
to better evaluate their skills and experience.
- Both prospective and current foreign
employees in more than 1,000 specialized professions will be
required to take the mandatory exam that will be administered by
Saudi authorities and the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- The program is expected to limit the
inclusion of unskilled workers in the country's labor market
and could potentially add extra costs for employers hiring foreign
nationals.
Overview
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia has introduced
the Skills Verification Program, which aims to improve the overall
skill level of workers in the Saudi labor market and limit the
participation of unskilled foreign national workers. Starting in
July 2021, foreign nationals in over 1,000 specialized professions
will be
