Goodbye Saudi Arabia, Hello Australia!

At least Australia has beaches!

Some 350,000 Overseas Filipino Workers are set to lose their jobs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) once the Saudi Arabian government enforces its new policy on migrant workers, but the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) remains optimistic, claiming that there are 180,000 jobs available in Australia alone, and another 11,000 or so in Korea.  This development will be due to the strict implementation of the Saudization Policy of 2006, where companies in Saudi Arabia are required to allot at least 10% of their workforce for Saudi nationals.  With this policy, the Saudi government will no longer renew the work permits of foreign workers who have spent 6 years in their country.  Adel Fekyeh (nice sounding name!), labor minister, was quoted as saying that such foreign workers would not be given renewed work permits in a measure aimed at boosting job opportunities for Saudi nationals.  However, the minister did not precisely clarify who will or won't be affected and when.

There are an estimated 10M expat workers in the KSA, employed in trades such as telecommunications, construction, health and service, domestic workers, etc., and majority of these migrant workers are from the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and other countries.  John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, pointed out that around 350,000 OFWs would be affected by the 6-year cap if implemented by the Saudi governement, but POEA Administrator Carlos Cao, Jr. said that the Philippine government is ready should the program pushes through since the Saudi government had given them advanced notice to prepare for its implementation.

Well, it had to happen sooner or later.  After all, it's common for a government to want its own nationals to get job opportunities first before foreigners.  It remains to be seen what kind of impact this will have on our economy, since our OFWs are one of our strongest sources of income.  Hopefully, the POEA doesn't drop the ball on this one because definitely not only the real estate industry is going to feel the pinch.

Babalik ka rin,

Jon