ILO - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Cooperation: Addressing Decent Work Gaps - Phase 3

The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has worked with the ILO in two subsequent phases of a Programme of Cooperation to improve imployment conditions. The ILO has provided technical assistance on key areas under the Labour Reform Initiative and on other key results areas for MHRSD under the Vision 2030. Building on the successes of the collaboration to date, the Ministry requested the ILO to carry-out a Decent Work gap analysis, which the ILO conducted in the period April – June 2024. This third phase of the ongoing Programme advances safe and decent working conditions and social protection for all workers, especially the most vulnerable in the Saudi labour market, including women, foreign workers, and low-skilled labourers. The additional activities and areas of work will run in parallel to the work already ongoing under Phase 2. The integrated work plan establishes a regulatory, policy, and institutional framework for social dialogue, ensuring that social partners are actively involved in shaping inclusive labour market policies aligned with international labour standards. Support is provided to create or strengthen structures for social dialogue, expand the functions of the Saudi National Committee of Workers Committees (SNC) and Workers’ Committees, and make them progressively accessible to migrant workers. The medium- to long-term goal is to adopt a regulatory framework aligned with the ILO Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144), to ratify C144, amend labour laws to include Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining rights, and establish sectoral social dialogue committees. The project focuses also on fair recruitment of foreign workers, strengthening the regulatory and policy framework and enforcement capacities. Efforts include clarifying current practices, addressing the fragmented regulation of private employment and recruitment agencies and enhancing the licensing and inspection system for labour recruiters. Fair recruitment due diligence is piloted through public-private partnerships, fair recruitment standards for Public Investment Fund (PIF) giga projects reviewed or developed with a view to embed them in the public procurement process and to revise public tenders’ legislation. The Programme focus also on labour mobility of migrant workers. It raises awareness of the impact of the 2021 Labour Reform Initiative on labour mobility, based on an assessment of the challenges and benefits of full labour market mobility. Additionally, the Programme address the gaps in the kafala (sponsorship) system reforms. Another priority is the recognition and protection of domestic workers’ rights, who make up 30% of the foreign workforce in Saudi Arabia but are excluded from labour law protections and social provisions. Efforts aim to suppress exit permits and, in the medium to long term, align domestic workers’ rights with those of other workers. Additionally, the project seeks to enhance effective workers' access to justice by strengthening and improving the accessibility of complaint mechanisms. It conducts a review and provide recommendations to improve conciliation mechanisms, ensuring a stronger legal status for conciliation agreements. The project addresses legal representation and protection and support of workers during legal proceedings. The project initiate work on social protection, extending coverage for all workers, including migrants, targets the review and improvements to the employment injury/death compensation system and assesses the feasibility of extending unemployment insurance to workers in new forms of employment as well as accompanying reforms planned of the End-of-Service Indemnity system. The project also addresses labour inspection and occupational safety and health (OSH) condition by providing recommendations to strengthen the labour inspection system, collecting compliance data, training inspectors on key areas like

Project symbol

SAU/25/50/SAU

Admin unit

RO-Arab States/DWT-Beirut

Start date

01/07/2025

End date

31/12/2027

Total allocation

3000000

Total expenditure

Status

Active

0

Development Partners

Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Labour and Social Development

Country/Countries

Saudi Arabia

Outcomes

Outcome 6: Protection at work for all
Outcome 3: Full and productive employment for just transitions
Outcome 2: Strong, representative and influential tripartite constituents and effective social dialogue
Outcome 7: Universal social protection