TASC survey reveals maintaining balance between Global Mobility and Green Nitaqat a predominant challenge for employers in Saudi Arabia

Aligning its solutions offerings to help businesses overcome challenges faced for the Global Mobility of human resources; TASC, the leading GRO, HRO, Mobility Solutions and Immigration solutions specialists is redefining the transformative Saudization journey for businesses across industries. In recent market research conducted in the kingdom, TASC observed that achieving a Green Nitaqat status while hiring expatriate talent has been a predominant challenge for organizations in many sectors.

Taking the lead to clarify the misconceptions surrounding Nitaqat status and hiring of expatriate talent, TASC hosted ‘Mastering Global Mobility for a Green Nitaqat in Saudi Arabia’, an insightful webinar with a panel of industry experts. TASC had also earlier released a Guidebook in 3 languages, Arabic, English & Chinese to help businesses understand the dynamic regulatory landscape and mandatory government protocols to ease business operations. After helping over 40 local blue chip and international businesses to successfully establish their base in Saudi Arabia; TASC is now actively focussing on streamlining Nitaqat and Saudization for employers in the Kingdom.

Strengthening its cross-border presence, TASC also announced the launch of its new, larger office in Riyadh for organizations looking to expand in the Kingdom. As businesses in Saudi Arabia become more global and workforce flexible; they will now be supported by a robust team that has tripled its size in less than 2 years. With a growing family of hundreds of clients and thousands of associates only in Saudi Arabia, TASC’s new office is a testament to the growing demands in the Saudi Arabian market.

Sharing his thoughts in the webinar, Abdullah Alharbi – HR & GRO Specialist said; “Human resource regulations are continuously evolving as part of the Kingdom’s transformation, in line with Vision 2030. This evolution is not limited to the regulations for nationalizing professions, which are among the most important initiatives of the Ministry of Human Resources, but also encompasses everything related to the rights of employees and employers. Therefore, it is crucial for companies to deeply understand and stay continually informed about the latest developments in this area.”

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been a lucrative market for business expansions due to its strategic location, growing economy, and advantages provided by the government. However, the regulatory environment is dynamic, and organizations must be proactive for seamless operations that are compliant. TASC particularly highlighted the setting up and management of government portals that are mandatory for businesses. Apart from regulatory compliance, these portals ensure services at a click that are otherwise difficult to manage. Bearing in mind the varied range in Nitaqat status that expects organizations to integrate nationalization; having these portals run seamlessly each day becomes imperative for every business in the kingdom.

Speaking of the launch of TASC office in Riyadh, Mahesh Shahdadpuri – Founder & CEO said; “Expanding our office in Saudi Arabia is a major milestone for TASC. It is about reinforcing our commitment to providing excellent people solutions in an ever-progressing nation. In line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, our growth is strategic, keeping pace with the country’s forward-thinking goals. TASC KSA has already received the ‘Great Place To Work’ Award, and this expansion is our continued pledge to create inspiring workplaces. We aim to be leaders in people solutions, ready for today and shaping tomorrow for businesses and employees in Saudi Arabia.”

TASC in its guidebook also highlighted the benefits that Nitaqat status-compliant businesses can avail ranging from global hiring, simple visa processing, online visas, and renewal of work permits; to name a few. While Saudi’s legal framework remains unique, experts like TASC play an important role in helping businesses navigate the complexities of operating in the Kingdom. While foreign employers in Saudi are constantly trying to stay true to the Kingdom’s labour laws and Saudization goals; there still are many that operate at low green status with ample scope to increase levels and become eligible for additional benefits offered through higher Nitaqat status.

Speaking of TASC’s expertise, Anil Singh – Country Leader said; “We’re enhancing our services in GRO, HRO, mobility, and immigration to meet the unique needs of this growing region. International relocations can be challenging in the kingdom however, the digitization of government mandates for businesses has truly been instrumental in streamlining the processes. The QIWA portal in particular is crucial for planning Nitaqat and effectively improving the work environment. Keeping regular track of this one-stop platform allows organizations to maintain a healthy (Medium Green) status, as well as smooth operations. This could be easier said than done in a dynamic regulatory environment where you have to constantly stay abreast and liaise with the government to know about any change in the mandate for a particular industry.”

Sharing crucial numbers highlighting the success rate of Nitaqat, Abdullah Alharbi added that over 700,000 Saudis were able to find relevant jobs under the program and the employment rate for Saudis in the private sector jumped from 13% to 17% recently.  Women’s workforce has also doubled in the private sector in the past few years making Nitaqat an important initiative for both the Kingdom as well as businesses.

Going further, the expert panel recommends that global businesses need to look at the available talent pool within the Kingdom before navigating overseas to find the right candidate. Internship programs at the higher education level for Saudis were another expert recommendation to help maintain high productivity levels in compliance with Saudization.