Crown Prince: Saudi Women Not Necessarily Required to Wear Abaya

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is known for its very conservative rules specially when it comes to women.

In the previous years, women could face detention if she does not adhere to the policy of wearing abaya in public.


The traditional abaya worn by women is black in color. But in the last few years, women started wearing colored abayas aside from the traditional black. This became controversial as some regard this as immodest and it brings attention to women- when women in Jeddah and Eastern Province started wearing colorful abaya, women in Riyadh still tried to follow and wear traditional black abaya.





Riyadh has been known as the most conservative city in Saudi Arabia, where, aside from abaya, women are also required to cover their head with a scarf or hijab. However, in some relaxed province like Jeddah and the Eastern Province they are more lenient when it comes to wearing hijab. These provinces also introduced colored abaya in the past few years, but is criticized in Riyadh- as colorful abaya brings attention to oneself.

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Major changes are introduced in the Kingdom liberating women in many ways. This includes allowing women to drive, having cinema and in the recent interview mentioning that women should be able to choose what to wear


In an interview, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia said: "The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover. The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear."

He also mentioned in the interview when asked if women are equal to men, that they are absolutely equal as human beings and there is no difference.

He added, "We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and they're being together in a workplace. Many of those ideas contradict the way of life during the time of the prophet and the Caliphs. This is the real example and the true model...The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover. The decision is entirely left for women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire she chooses to wear."

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SAUDI GOV'T TO COMPANIES: RETURN PASSPORT OF EMPLOYEES WITHIN ONE MONTH OR BE PENALIZED

OFWs and other expats have a reason to rejoice, for finally, their passport will be given to them, as LABOR MINISTRY of SAUDI ARABIA warned employers to return non-Saudi passport within one month or face penalties.

The government of Saudi Arabia through the Ministry of Labour and Social Development has reportedly given employers one month to return passports to their employees.

#Saudi Labor Ministry — One-month deadline for #employers to return #employees’ #passports — https://t.co/fUGN2E5YTy

— Saudi Gazette (@Saudi_Gazette) March 5, 2017

In a report by the Saudi Gazette, the country’s Council of Ministers first banned employers from keeping passports severals years ago.

SEE ALSO:
SAUDI ARABIA, UAE, QATAR, OMAN, BAHRAIN AND KUWAIT EMPLOYERS SHOULD NOT HOLD WORKER'S PASSPORT

Also, a couple of years ago, former Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia inform Filipino Overseas Workers to report to labor department if their employers are keeping their passport from them

PHILIPPINES AMBASSADOR TO SAUDI: REPORT IF YOUR EMPLOYER REFUSED TO GIVE YOUR PASSPORT

The KSA Ministry of Labor will also penalized employees with a fine of SAR2,000 if they keep their employees passport or fail to return them. Accordingly, reports says that the Labor Ministry and Social Development is giving EMPLOYERS ONE MONTH deadline to return the passports of their employees.

Previous posts about this generated a lot of comments that their employers are still keeping their passports and do not follow the Labor Ministry order. 

This is good news to many Filipinos, OFWs based in Saudi Arabia especially those working as household service workers.Some employers are keeping their passport so they cannot escape from maltreatment and abused. Some are simply keeping their passport so they will be hold hostage, especially if employers are not following rules and regulations agreed especially when it comes to salary, day-off and unfit labor practices.

Read some of the comments below regarding OFW employers withholding their passport from them

Quoting the Secretary General of National Society for Human Rights Khalid Al-Fakhiri said that holding an employee’s passport is a form of human trafficking. “What binds the employer and the employee is the contract. The passport is a personal document. No one has the right to take it because it becomes a crime of abuse and denial of rights,” as reported in Saudi Gazette.

SEE ALSO:

PASSPORT PROCESSING GUIDE AND LIST OF DFA BRANCHES NATIONWIDE

STEPS ON HOW TO SET PASSPORT APPOINTMENT ONLINE

NEW SAUDI VISA FEES GOES INTO EFFECT STARTING OCT 2

PASSPORT PROCESSING FOR OFWS: 30 MINUTES, RELEASING SHORTER TIME

©2017 THOUGHTSKOTO

PHILIPPINE EMBASSY IN SAUDI TO ALL OFWS IN THE KINGDOM: LIST OF PENALTY FOR EXPAT VIOLATORS IN SAUDI

Are you working in Saudi Arabia under different sponsor from the one on your visa; over-staying when your visa or iqama has expired; are you helping illegal expatriates by employing them, transporting them, or sheltering them? These are against the rules of Saudi and you could end up sanctioned and deported.

The website of the Embassy of Philippines in Saudi Arabia recently published information issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  This pertains to the sanctions or penalty that will be given to expatriates who violates rules and regulations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In the Ministerial Sanctions defined by Saudi MFA, penalties for expatriate violators were defined. Some violators includes expatriates who are free lancer or those who have Kafeel, over-stayer or those whose visa or iqama are already expired. Expatriates who are also helping and protecting illegals by any means like employing, sheltering, or transporting  them will be fined and could face deportation, imprisonment, and confiscation of car or transportation.

The advisory given by MFA reads as follows:

ADVISORY

Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs Issues Ministerial Sanctions 
Against Violators of the Rules and Regulations Pertaining to 
Dealing with Expatriates

(14 November 2016) The Philippine Embassy wishes to inform the Filipino Community in Riyadh that the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued its Ministerial Decision Circular which contains the sanctions to be imposed against violators of the rules and regulations when dealing with expatriates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The matrix includes sanctions on the violations such as, protecting or harboring an expatriate, delay of departure of an expatriate after expiration of entry or exit visa, and employers who allow their workers to work for other employers under their sponsorship.

NO.	VIOLATION	SANCTION FOR FIRST OFFENSE	SANCTION FOR SECOND OFFENSE	SANCTION FOR THIRD OFFENSE & MORE
1	Any expatriate who works for his own account (Free Lancer)	SR10,000 fine Deportation	SR25,000 fine One month imprisonment Deportation	SR50,000 fine Six month imprisonment Deportation
2	Any expatriate who delays his departure after expiration of his entry visa	SR15,000 fine Deportation	SR25,000 fine Three months imprisonment Deportation	SR50,000 fine Six month imprisonment Deportation
3	Intruders who are caught outside the border	Fine of SR15,000 One month imprisonment Deportation	SR25,000 fine Three months imprisonment Deportation	SR100,000 fine Six month imprisonment Deportation
4	Persons who transport or give jobs to intruders who are caught outside the border; protecting or harboring them; or extending them any means of assistance	SR25,000 fine Six months imprisonment Deportation (if violator is an expatriate) Criminal libel To demand for court order to confiscate the means of the land transport if it is owned by the transporter himself, his accomplice or partner	SR50,000 fine One year imprisonment Deportation (if violator is an expatriate) Criminal libel To demand for court order to confiscate the means of the land transport if it is owned by the transporter himself, his accomplice or partner	SR100,000 fine Two years imprisonment Deportation (if violator is an expatriate) Criminal libel To demand for court order to confiscate the means of the land transport if it is owned by the transporter himself, his accomplice or partner
5	Any individual person who transports or gives jobs to violators of the Rules & Regulations; protecting or harboring them; or extending them any means of assistance	SR15,000 fine Deportation (if violator is an expatriate)	SR30,000 fine Deportation (if violator is an expatriate) Three months imprisonment	SR100,000 fine Deportation (if violator is an expatriate) Six month imprisonment

The matrix includes sanctions for those who are protecting or harboring an expatriate;  delay of departure of an expatriate after expiration of entry or exit visa, and employers who allow their workers to work for other employers under their sponsorship. 
source

READ ALSO: RUN AWAY WORKERS WILL NEVER BE ALLOWED TO RETURN TO SAUDI



SAUDI WOMEN WANTS DH/HSW's SALARIES TO BE CUT BY HALF OR SR1,000
126 RECRUITMENT AGENCIES IN SAUDI, BANNED FROM RECRUITING DH;478 EXPAT MEDICAL STAFF, LOSES JOB IN KSA

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO

These are Some of the Answers to Your Basic Saudi Labor Questions

1. Can I get the number of the Ministry of Labor?

Contact the ministry's customer service center number: 

19911 and you can find all the information on the 

ministry's website, www.mol.gov.sa.

Customer Service Department Twitter Account 

@MOL_CARE

2. How do I submit a complaint to one of the offices of the work?

To submit a complaint to one of the offices of the work, please go to the Office of the defendant and the complaint or through the contact center. 

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3. What are the documents required to file a complaint with the labor offices?

The customer number that highlights the civil registry number and established, in addition to personal phone number 

4. What Can I Do to Resolve did not respond to the complaint by the Office work?

The customer to follow up the issue with the Office of the complaints in the Ministry of Labor, through the Center for Communication or to attend personally to the ministry and to highlight No. complaint to ensure their validity and follow-up through the Ministry of Labor and then call the Customer to benefit 

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5. What are the documents required to follow up on the complaint with the Ministry of Labor?

To follow up on the complaint, the customer give No. civil registry, No. established, telephone number, facsimile number and complaint at the labor office 

6. How do I make a complaint about one of the staff members in the labor offices?

The customer to go to the office who work in which the employee, and direct the complaint to the Director, where follow-up to the complaint and advise the customer 

7. If it is to benefit from direct before the Director in the office work, how can I follow up on the complaint?

The client then go to the Ministry of Labor, and written testimony concerning the problem that has occurred, in addition to the adoption of health information, attached full submissions. 

8. What is the type of complaints, which could be provided by the staff member to the employer?

The types of complaints: 

o Delay of salaries (3 months and more) 

o Assigned to different work on the nature of the work agreed upon in the contract signed between the two parties 

o Abuse 

o Lack of employee housing 

o Contrary to one of the conditions

9. What is official number of hours of work

CLICK here or the image to learn more about working hours

Work permits

o    Non-Saudi nationals are not permitted to perform any work unless obtaining a work permit from the Ministry according to the form prepared for this cause.

o    The employer is not permitted to employ workers in an occupation other than the occupation provided in the employee's work permit. Similarly, the employee is prohibited from performing any work different from his occupation, before taking the required legal actions and procedures for changing an occupation.

Requirements for obtaining work permits

o    The worker has entered Saudi Arabia legally and authorized to work.

o    The worker must have the educational and occupational qualifications required by the country, where no Saudi national has obtained such qualification, or the numbers of qualified Saudi individuals are not sufficient, or the worker is considered within the regular worker needed by the country.

o    The worker has contracted with the employer and is under his responsibility.

The employment contract and its’ term

The employment contract of a non-Saudi national must be written and for a definite term. If the contract does not specify the term, the expiration date of the work permit is considered the expiration date of the contract.

The costs of employing expatriates are as follows:

1. The employer is responsible for the cost of recruiting new employees and expatriates into the country, the cost of residency and work permit (iqama), the cost of its' renewal, fines for late renewals, the cost of changing occupation, exit and returns, and the cost of return tickets for employees after the termination of their contractual relationship.

2. The employee is responsible for the cost of return tickets if he is not qualified to work, or if he wishes to return for no specific reason.

3. The employer is responsible for transfer expenses if the employee wishes to transfer his sponsorship to the employer.

 Text and Graphics Source: Saudi Labor 

©2016 THOUGHTSKOTO