Saudi Laws Update

Jawazat: Expats who fail to return on reentry can come back only after 3 years SaudiGazette, January 31, 2021 Jawazat’s clarification came in response to queries from many foreigners who want to come back to the Kingdom after leaving the country years ago on exit and reentry visa and did not return before the expiry of the visa.  RIYADH — The General Directorate of Passports (Jawazat) has clarified that those expatriates, who left the Kingdom on exit and reentry visa and did not come back before the expiry of the visa, are not allowed to reenter the Kingdom for a period of three years. However, this is not applicable to those who come back to the previous employer with a new work visa. The Jawazat’s clarification came in response to queries from many foreigners who want to come back to the Kingdom after leaving the country years ago on exit and reentry visa and did not return before the expiry of the visa.

Saudi free economic zones under final review by govt: Al-Falih Arabnews Al-Falih indicated that select zones will be exempt from some taxes to support macro economy RIYADH: The free economic zones planned to be launched in Saudi Arabia are under final review by the government, said Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih. Speaking to Argaam during the 2021 Budget Forum, Al-Falih indicated that select zones will be exempt from some taxes to support macro economy. These zones will have a special legislative environment and also special incentives. Local and foreign investors interested in building new industries will be attracted to the Kingdom. The economic zones do not target to attract the existing investments. They rather seek to introduce new sectors that eye exports and improved balance of payments. The free zones also aim to enhance the qualitative economy, such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, digital industries including cloud computing and artificial intelligence, according to...

Court terminates sponsorship transfer contract, refers case to Public Prosecution January 20, 2021 Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — The General Court in Jeddah terminated the contract between a Saudi citizen, who is a restaurant owner, and a Saudi woman over the transfer of sponsorship of a foreign worker. The court also referred the case involving SR60,000 to the Public Prosecution to take appropriate measures for the violation of the provisions of the Law on Combating Trafficking in Persons. The court also ordered the woman sponsor to refund the money, amounting to SR30,000, to the citizen that she had received in advance for the transfer of sponsorship of the foreign worker. The court issued the ruling after examining the lawsuit filed by the citizen against the woman. He alleged that the woman agreed to transfer the sponsorship of the foreigner who could work in his restaurant. According to the contract, the citizen agreed to pay SR60,000 for the transfer of sponsorship of the worker....

GAZT extends penalty waiver until June 30 Saudi Gazette report January 21, 2021 RIYADH — The General Authority of Zakat and Tax (GAZT) extended the waiver period of fines and financial penalties for taxpayers until June 30, 2021, the authority said in a statement. The move is part of the Kingdom’s initiatives to stimulate the economy and support the private sector to face the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak. As part of the initiative, taxpayers will be exempted from fines on delays in the payment of due taxes or filing tax returns. They will be also exempted from the penalties imposed for correcting tax returns under the value-added tax (VAT) law. Taxpayers will be 100 percent exempted from fines if they fully pay the principal tax amount under the relevant tax return during the period from January-March 2021. The GAZT added that 75 percent of fines will be waived if taxpayers fully pay the principal tax under the relevant tax return during the period from April-May 2021...

തൊഴിൽ കേസുകൾ ഇപ്പോൾ നാജിസ്  ( Najiz.sa) വഴി ഫയൽ ചെയ്യാം  20 ഡിസംബർ 2021   തൊഴിൽ കേസുകളും മറ്റ് അനുബന്ധ തർക്കങ്ങളും നാജിസ് വഴി ഫയൽ ചെയ്യാമെന്ന് നീതിന്യായ മന്ത്രാലയം. നേരത്തെഉള്ള വ്യവസ്ഥ പരിഹരിക്കപ്പെടാത്ത തൊഴിൽ കേസുകൾ 21 ദിവസത്തിനുള്ളിൽ ഉചിതമായ ലേബർ ഓഫീസുകളുടെ സെറ്റിൽമെന്റ് കമ്മിറ്റി വഴി കൈമാറണം എന്നായിരുന്നു.   നാജിസ് വഴി കേസുകൾ ഫയൽ ചെയ്യാൻ തൊഴിലുടമയെയും ജീവനക്കാരനെയും അനുവദിക്കുന്നതിലൂടെ , കേസുകൾ ശരിയായി ഫയൽ ചെയ്യുന്നുവെന്ന് കോടതിക്ക് ഉറപ്പാക്കാൻ കഴിയും , കൂടാതെ അപേക്ഷകന്റെ എല്ലാ അഭ്യർത്ഥനകളും ഉൾപ്പെടുത്തി , എല്ലാ നടപടിക്രമ ആവശ്യകതകളും ശരിയായി പാലിക്കുക , കേസുകൾ വേഗത്തിൽ സ്വീകരിക്കുക , വ്യവഹാര സമയം കുറയ്ക്കുക എന്നതും ഇത് കൊണ്ട് സാധിക്കും   നാജിസ്   വഴി കേസുകൊടുക്കാനുള്ള വ്യവസ്ഥകൾ ഇവയാണ്:   തൊഴിൽ നിയമത്തിന് വിധേയമായ തൊഴിൽ വ്യവഹാരങ്ങൾ ഒരു തർക്കം ഉണ്ടാകുമ്പോൾ , തൊഴിലാളിയോ തൊഴിലുടമയോ ആദ്യം ഉചിതമായ ലേബർ ഓഫീസിൽ കേസ് ഫയൽ ചെയ്യും. ഒരു ഒത്തുതീർപ്പിലെത്താത്തപ്പോൾ , ലേബർ സെറ്റിൽമെന്റ് കമ്മിറ്റി റിപ്പോർട്ടിന്റെ ഒരു പകർപ്പ് അറ്റാച്ചുചെയ്ത് നാജിസ്   വഴി ഒരു ക...

Labor cases now can be filed through Najiz (Najiz.sa) 20 December 2021   The Ministry of Justice says that the labor cases and other related disputes can be filed through Najiz. Earlier unsettled labor cases have to be transferred through settlement committee of the appropriate labor offices within 21 days from the date of the first lawsuit .   Allowing the employer and employee to file the cases via Najiz, the court can ensure that the cases are properly filed, incorporating all the requests of the petitioner, properly follow all the procedural requirements, accepting the cases quickly as well as reducing the litigation time.   The conditions to file cases through Najiz are:   Labor lawsuits subject to the Labor Law When a dispute arises, the worker or the employer first files the case at the appropriate labor office to seek a settlement. When a settlement is not reached, a lawsuit shall be filed through the Najiz attaching a copy of the labor settlement committee ...

Saudi authorities block two online stores for flouting e-commerce law Gulf News Published:  January 18, 2021 03:59 Samir Salama, Associate Editor They made fake offers to consumers and failed to deliver products to buyers on time   The Saudi Ministry of Commerce has blocked two online stores for breaking e-commerce laws by providing fake offers to consumers and not delivering their products within the period specified by law, local media reported. The ministry received complaints from consumers about an online store that sells electronic devices, and it continued to implement sales and delay delivery of sold goods to buyers within the specified period. The Ministry blocked the website of the store, in addition to continuing to process the pending purchases, as 329 requests are processed, with a total sales of more than 700,000 riyals. It also blocked an online store without a license for submitting fake offers to sell smartphones in installments through its website, luring buy...

  Saudi Gazette report RIYADH —  A number of citizens and residents people, including some former government officials, have been convicted and handed prison terms for their involvement in corruption cases, an official source at the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha) said on Monday. The anti-corruption authority has also initiated a number of fresh criminal cases involving fraud, bribery, and embezzlement of public funds, the source added. According to the source, a criminal court in Riyadh recently issued preliminary rulings in a number of cases referred to it by Nazaha’s investigation and criminal prosecution unit. The source cited a number of prominent cases in which preliminary verdicts have been announced. In one ruling, the court convicted an employee of the Ministry of Defense for embezzling public funds, sentenced him to five years in prison, and ordered him to pay a fine after returning the embezzled money to the state exchequer. In another ruling, a ret...

  Saudi Gazette report RIYADH —  Saudi Arabia has decided to hold a professional test for non-Saudi engineers who seek to come to the Kingdom on new job visas. Senior officials of the Education and Training Evaluation Commission and the Saudi Council of Engineers (SCE) have discussed modalities to hold the professional test for non-Saudi engineers. The move is in line with the directive of Acting Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Majed Al-Hoqail to SCE to hold professional tests for non-Saudi workers to ensure the quality of engineering works so as to safeguard the society. The minister also stressed the need to evaluate the academic qualifications and practical experiences of expatriate engineers working in the Kingdom. The commission stated that new engineers will need to clear a test before entering Saudi Arabia. The test will be conducted in cooperation with the commission's strategic global partner, Pearson VUE. Pearson VUE offers innovative computer-based testing s...

  Saudi Gazette report RIYADH —  Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Interior has warned against violations of coronavirus preventive protocols while holding social gatherings for wedding and offering condolences and such other parties and events. “Each person who commits the violation in terms of attending or inviting or causing the gathering shall be slapped with a fine amounting to SR5,000 and the penalty will be doubled in the event of repeating the violation and if the violation repeated for a second time, the person will be referred to the Public Prosecution for taking further legal procedures,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its Twitter account. The ministry said that fine for firms that involve in violation will be SR40,000 for the first time and the fine will be doubled with repetition of the violation and in the event of repeating the violation for a second time, the fine will be doubled and the violator will be referred to the Public Prosecution for taking furthe...

  Saudi anti-corruption authority issues judicial rulings in seven cases A number of employees have been convicted of bribery, embezzlement and other corruption charges in the interior, defense and housing ministries as well as other governmental authorities. (Shutterstock It announces new corruption cases involving ministerial employees RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority has initiated seven criminal cases and issued judicial rulings on seven existing cases, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. The new cases involve dozens of government, ministerial and municipal employees, members of university faculties, and citizens and residents. They face a variety of corruption charges, including exploitation, bribery, fraud, nepotism and accepting millions of riyals in cash payments, gifts or travel. In one case, a former appeal judge was arrested over allegations he received a luxury vehicle in exchange for issuing an irregular ruling and revoking three oth...

Overdue business rents waived by the Saudi court If a contract obliges one of the parties to carry out a task, which cannot be completed on time due to the pandemic, the court can temporarily suspend the implementation of the obligation. (SPA) The new regulations cover construction contracts, supply contracts, and the like, which have been affected by the pandemic RIYADH: The General Assembly of the Saudi Supreme Court has ordered the waiving of overdue rents on businesses hit by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and called for a review of such contracts between tenants and owners. The steps have been taken in view of the circumstances caused by the pandemic, wherein an obligation or contract cannot be implemented without unusual losses. The president of the Supreme Court, Khalid bin Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Luhaidan, approved the decisions backed by 32 members of the assembly, Okaz newspaper reported. Authorities have set conditions that have to be met before a case can be ...

 

 Arabnews The Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) has warned bank customers, both citizens and expatriates, not to fall victim to financial frauds being perpetrated by scammers JEDDAH: Fraudsters have developed a new scam, contacting residents in Saudi Arabia and pretending to be bank staffers requesting customer details. A number of Arab News staff have received such calls in recent weeks. One caller spoke Urdu while two other callers posing as senior officials from the headquarters of the bank spoke in English and Arabic with a local accent. They used phone numbers that appeared to be local numbers but upon calling back, the lines failed to connect. The racketeers collect phone numbers of customers and ring them up, saying that their bank account or ATM card requires immediate updating. The scammers use the information provided to gain access to their bank accounts. Speaking to Arab News, Talat Zaki Hafiz, secretary-general of the Media and Banking Awareness Committee of Saudi banks, said:...

  Saudi Gazette report RIYADH —  Saudi Arabia will soon appoint female judges in a landmark move to empower women, Hind Al-Zahid   the undersecretary for women’s empowerment at the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, announced on Friday. Recently, Minister of Justice Walid Al-Samaani issued directives to appoint 100 women notaries for facilitating judicial services for women. The ministry also recently appointed many qualified women in the fields of law, Shariah, sociology, administration, and technology in the ministry for the first time. Justice Ministry has been focusing on female employment within the legal sector as part of its plans to support and empower women, widen their career options, and help them play a bigger role in this sector. Al-Zahid, speaking to Al-Arabiya TV on Friday, stressed that the government is committed to empowering women. She pointed out that the rate of Saudi women's participation in the labor market has reached 31 percent, s...

Saudi lawyers: new ‘Naming and shaming’ powers will deter sexual predators Arabnews Legal experts say new amendment to law will reduce harassment and protect potential victims MAKKAH: A new amendment to the Saudi anti-harassment law enabling the “naming and shaming” of convicted sexual predators will deter potential offenders and protect victims, lawyers told Arab News on Wednesday. The change to the original 2018 law was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday, adding the publication of an offender’s personal details to the previously applicable punishments of fines and imprisonment. “A royal decree was issued to amend the anti-harassment law allowing the judge handling the case to include a sentence imposed on the harasser to name and shame him at his own financial expense, as a deterrent to him and others like him,” legal counsel Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud said. “Public naming and shaming constitute a strong punishment that deters anyone who may be tempted to engage in sexual harassment, the e...