Saudi Arabia: The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD) has announced that 14,000 violations and 9,500 warnings were documented by its inspection department in Riyadh last year.

Violations included the recruitment of non-Saudis to national-restricted positions, failure to provide healthcare and neglect of precautionary and preventive measures amid the pandemic. Some private companies also neglected to update their business details.

Some employers were also found to have avoided paying wages, while others permitted non-Saudis to work in job positions left absent from their work permits, and employed men in jobs designated for women only.

The HRSD said that it will pursue inspections to ensure company owners comply with the findings.

The ministry also revealed on Dec. 31 that it will now allow the payment of expat levies and government fees on a quarterly rather than annual basis.