Members of the Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) have urged the Minister of Labor Adel Fakeih to scrap the 6 percent Saudization quota for the farming sector because of the lack of Saudi laborers.
This appeal was made on Thursday by Eid Al-Ghadeer, chairman of the CSC national agricultural committee, Arab News has learned. Fakeih was locked in a closed meeting with members of the body’s 30 national committees.
However, Al-Ghadeer has asked the minister to retain the Saudization quota for agricultural engineers and administrative staff. The official was also reportedly seeking more work visas for seasonal farmers during harvesting periods.
There are currently 9 million Saudi and foreign workers in the Kingdom, with 48 percent employed in the construction and farming industry. Saudi farmers produce poultry, cattle, sheep and prawns.
Fakeih held a frank discussion with the businessmen at the chamber about the employment problems following the end of the amnesty on Nov. 3, which saw an exodus of illegal workers from the Kingdom, although many workers corrected their job status or found other sponsors.
Prior to the meeting, at the Riyadh Economic Forum on Tuesday, the labor minister said he wanted to hold discussions with members of the private sector to identify new areas of cooperation.
He had announced that he would not take any decisions on Saudi Arabia’s labor laws and policies without a mandate from the people.
He announced the launch of the ministry's "e-Gate" for this purpose.
Fakeih said he would answer any questions asked by members of the public through email. He said a minimum wage for the private and public sectors would be determined soon. A special committee was working on this issue.
Fakeih also said he currently chairs a committee comprising 37 deputy ministers to discuss government contracts and the workforce needed for projects. This was a reference to the shortage of expatriate workers in the construction sector in the wake of the government's crackdown on undocumented workers.
Businessmen lament lack of Saudi farm hands
Businessmen lament lack of Saudi farm hands
Threat to Kingdom’s security is ‘red line’ that will be ‘addressed and neutralized,’ Saudi envoy says
- Abdulaziz Alwasil tells UN Security Council the situation in southern Yemen is ‘a just cause with social and historic dimensions’ that can only be resolved through dialogue
- Recent military activity in the south was unilateral, resulting in an escalation that harms the interests of Yemeni people and undermines efforts to address issues in the south, he said
NEW YORK CITY: Any attempt to threaten Saudi Arabia’s national security is a “red line” and will be met with decisive action, the Kingdom’s ambassador to the UN told the Security Council on Wednesday.
Speaking during a meeting of the council to discuss Yemen, Abdulaziz Alwasil said the situation in the south of the country is “a just cause with social and historic dimensions” that can only be resolved through dialogue.
“We stress that any attempt to threaten our national security is a red line, and we will not hesitate to take the necessary actions and steps to address it and neutralize it,” he added.
Alwasil reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi, the Presidential Leadership Council, and the Yemeni government in their efforts to achieve security, stability, development and peace while preserving national unity.
He said military activity by Southern Transitional Council forces in Hadramout and Al-Mahra on Dec. 2, 2025, was unilateral, did not have the approval of the Presidential Leadership Council, and was not carried out in coordination with the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.
It had resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, undermined efforts to address the issues in the south, and ran counter to the coalition’s objectives, Alwasil added.
The Kingdom, working with its coalition partners, the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government, had moved to contain the situation by dispatching a military force to coordinate arrangements with the Southern Transitional Council in Aden, he said.
The aim was to ensure the return of the southern council’s forces to their previous positions outside of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and the handover of camps to legitimate government forces and local authorities in line with agreed procedures, Alwasil added.
He expressed regret over the military operations that took place in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, close to Saudi Arabia’s southern border, which he said posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s national security, as well as the security of Yemen and regional stability. Such steps were extremely dangerous, he added, and contradicted the principles on which the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen had been founded.
Alwasil welcomed a prisoner and detainee exchange agreement signed in Muscat on Dec. 23, which he described as an important humanitarian measure to alleviate suffering and build confidence.
He praised Oman for hosting and sponsoring the consultations and supporting negotiations, and commended the efforts of UN’s special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, the International Committee of the Red Cross and all others that has played a part.
Regarding the political efforts to resolve the crisis, Alwasil said Saudi Arabia welcomed President Al-Alimi’s call for an inclusive conference in Riyadh to bring together all stakeholders to discuss just solutions to the situation in southern Yemen.
Preparations for the conference have begun, he added, in cooperation with the Yemeni government and southern representatives, reflecting the close ties between the two countries and their shared interests in stabilizing Yemen.
He urged all southern stakeholders to participate actively and constructively in the talks, to help find comprehensive and just solutions that meet the legitimate aspirations of the people of southern Yemen.
Alwasil called on all Yemeni forces and stakeholders to cooperate and intensify their efforts to reach a lasting political settlement that would ensure security and stability.
He described the southern issue as “a just cause with social and historic dimensions,” adding that “the only way to address it is through dialogue that leads to a comprehensive political solution” based on nationally and internationally agreed terms of reference.
