RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Labor and Social Development Ahmed bin Suleiman Al-Rajhi has issued a decision in partnership with the Health Ministry to gradually localize, in two phases, the dental profession in the Kingdom.

The first phase will target the localization of 25 percent of the institutions as of March 26, 2020, while the second phase will target the localization of 30 percent of the institutions as of Aug. 20, 2020.

The ministry’s spokesman, Khaled Aba Al-Khail, said that the decision to localize the dental profession would be applied to institutions where the number of expatriates exceeded three dentists.

The decision comes within the implementation of the Localization of Professions Initiative, one of the ministry’s initiatives announced on Oct. 1, 2018, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Council of Saudi Chambers, the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties, and the Human Resources Fund (HRF), and aims to provide suitable job opportunities for citizens in vital disciplines.

Al-Khail pointed out that the ministry would take all necessary measures to ensure the institutions’ commitment to implement the decision. 

Any institution that violates it will be penalized.

It should be noted that mechanisms have been put in place to support and stimulate training and employment within the HRF programs.