The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced the expiration of the grace period specified in the decision to “restrict remote customer service jobs to Saudi nationals” , and that the decision takes effect today. This decision applies to all establishments operating in the labor market, whether through direct or indirect contracting.
This decision is expected to contribute to the creation of numerous job opportunities in customer service professions and positions, as it is part of a series of decisions on the Saudization of professions that the Ministry has been working on, and the agreement on the Saudization Plan for Information and Communications Technology Jobs signed with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, as well as the Human Resources Development Fund and the Communications and Information Technology Commission. These initiatives aim to enable Saudi nationals working in customer service professions and positions to secure decent job opportunities and provide them with a suitable and motivating work environment in the private sector, and to improve the quality of the customer experience in the Kingdom.
The decision covered all professions and positions offered in call centers for remote customer service, whether via telephone, email, chat platforms, social media, or direct interaction, as well as employment contracts or service outsourcing agreements under which employers are required to provide remote work.
The Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, will provide support for the decision through the “Skills of the Future” initiative, which offers programs to support employment, training, and career guidance and counseling, and the Call Center and Technical Outsourcing Saudization Initiative, which offers financial and non-financial incentives to localize these centers within the Kingdom. It will also collaborate with the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf) to offer various training and support programs for customer service professions through training and support channels such as “Tamheer, Darob, Saifi, the Hadaf Leadership Academy, and the Saudi Human Resources Portal.”