Arab News, Monday, Mar 29, 2021 | Shaaban 15, 1442
Saudi Arabia’s Qiwa to make labor market competitive, increase productivity in private sector
Saudi Arabia:
Saudi Arabia’s new Qiwa service aims to create a more attractive environment for
investment in the Kingdom, and raise the quality of services provided by
governmental and private agencies.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD)’s platform
provides a diverse array of services to enhance e-services for the labor sector,
to make the market more competitive, and increase productivity within the
private sector in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
The e-platform consolidates workforce services in one digital location. Through
it, expatriate workers in the private sector will not only be able to access and
update their contracts with ease, but help them move from one employer to
another at the end of their current contracts.
Dr. Osama Ghanem Al-Obaidy, a law professor at the Institute of Public
Administration in Riyadh, told Arab News: “Investors and businesses will be able
to complete transactions relating to the issuance of professional and temporary
visit visas and women’s visas. (Qiwa) will enhance the transparency and
cooperation between the public and private sectors to promote the labor market
in line with Saudi Vision 2030.”
Services offered include monthly reports to promote communication between
employers and the MHRSD to improve compliance with labor laws and regulations,
Al-Obaidy added.
Moreover, Qiwa provides e-adviser services which help evaluate businesses
electronically and improve efficiency.
It also notifies businesses of anything issued by the ministry to avoid
violations, defaults, or failure to comply with changing laws and regulations.
“This platform is an important step forward by the ministry toward … speeding up
decision- making processes to benefit the growth and development of new and
existing businesses and attract foreign investments,” Al-Obaidy said.
Dr. Majed Al-Hedayan, a senior legal and corporate affairs expert, told Arab
News: “The Qiwa platform works … to attract and encourage national and foreign
investments, and emphasizes the partnership between the public and private
sectors that aims to achieve the diversification goals under Vision 2030.”
Qiwa’s e-consultancy services include an interactive dashboard displaying
business indicators featuring average wages, employment rates and job
sustainability, and a series of preemptive alerts to help businesses avoid
delays and violations.
The registration of establishments on Qiwa is carried out by an automated system
for establishments already registered with the MHRSD.
Establishments can
subscribe to the platform and benefit from Qiwa’s services through its website.