July 3 deadline for expats unextendable

Saudi authorities yesterday rejected requests by embassies, public and private sectors to extend the grace period to legalize the status of workers violating labor regulations. According to a source, a request was submitted last week to extend the grace period, but the Saudi government has rejected it. “The government refused to extend the period that will end on July 3. The government has urged official departments to adhere to the deadline of the three-month grace period given by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah,” the source said. Spokesman of the Labor Ministry, Hattab Al-Anazi, said the grace period was based on a royal decree and that only another royal decree can extend it. “I don’t think the period will be extended, because the decision of the grace period came directly from King Abdullah. Authorities will start applying the penal system on violators from July 4. There will be no exceptions,” said Al-Anazi. However, Brig. Hussain Al-Harthi, head of the Passport Department in the Makkah Province, said his administration has caught forging attempts by expatriates to stay in the Kingdom. Commenting on the video that went viral online showing a passport officer hitting expatriates, Al-Harthi said it is unacceptable and that passport personnel are supposed to serve both nationals and expatriates. “What happened was that a group of expatriates broke the gate of the passport department and caused chaos inside, but that does not give anyone an excuse to act inappropriately. The officer who committed this act was fired from the department immediately following an investigation,” he said.