Effective 11 September 2018, employment across four sub-sectors within the retail sector in Saudi Arabia will be restricted to Saudi nationals only. Foreign nationals will be prohibited from working in forty-three different professions.
September 09, 2018: Thirteen professions across three additional sub-sectors will be subject to restrictions effective from 9 November 2018, and forty-four designations within five other sub-sectors will be affected from 7 January 2019 onwards.
Affected sub-sectors
Professions restricted to Saudi nationals are within the below listed sub-sectors:
From 11 September 2018 onwards:
- Automobile and motorbike showrooms;
- Shops selling ready-to-wear apparel, children and men’s cloths;
- Shops selling home and office furniture; and
- Shops selling household goods and utensils.
From 9 November 2018 onwards:
- Electrical appliances and electronics shops;
- Shops selling watches; and
- Shops selling optical instruments.
From 7 January 2019 onwards:
- Medical appliances and equipment shops;
- Shops selling building and construction materials;
- Shops selling vehicle spare parts;
- Shops selling carpets; and
- Confectionary shops.
How Fragomen can assist?
Fragomen will continue monitoring the situation and will revert with additional information as developments occur.