Saudization rate in construction reaches 12%, says official

The Saudization rate in the contracting sector currently stands at 12 percent, Al Eqtisadiah reported, citing Osama Al Afaleq, Saudi Contractors Authority’s (SCA) chairman.

A joint committee from SCA and the labor ministry is working on key Saudization files, including the current rates and the nationalizating mechanism, in order to achieve real rates by attracting citizens to the contracting sector and ending commercial concealment, he said.

Al Afaleq attributed the decrease in the sector’s nationalization rates to low wages, the seasonality of construction jobs that makes them temporary and unstable, the long hours and weak training.