LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday approved new regulations for worker registration that it said prioritize the employment of Saudis in licensed tourism organizations, in an effort to enhance the sector and empower its workforce.

The new rules prohibit the outsourcing or subcontracting of jobs that are subject to Saudization policies to organizations or workers from outside the Kingdom. The exception to this is outsourcing or subcontracting through organizations licensed by the ministry that employ Saudi nationals.

All tourism and hospitality facilities in the Kingdom will also be required to have a Saudi receptionist on duty during working hours.

The new rules include the introduction of strict compliance checks for workers in the sector, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The ministry said all employers will have to register employees before employment begins, using platforms provided the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

All contracts for workers engaged in contracting, secondments or seasonal work must be submitted through the Ajeer system or other approved platforms. Tourism establishments with several types of licensed facilities must register workers separately for each one.

The ministry urged all businesses and organizations to comply with the new rules and said it will be monitoring for any violations.