Seasonal work visa green-lighted

JEDDAH: The Cabinet on Monday approved new regulations related to temporary and seasonal work visas. At a meeting, chaired by Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Moahmmed bin Naif, the Cabinet took the decision after reviewing a report submitted to the Council of Ministers by the Labor Ministry. According to the new regulations, each seasonal or temporary work visa will cost SR1,000. The fee for extension of seasonal visas will be SR1,000. The proposals were first discussed and approved by the Shoura Council. A temporary work visa is categorized as a special visa that allows a foreign worker to enter the Kingdom once or multiple times for work. Labor Office Director in Jeddah Sultan Al-Harbi told Arab News that seasonal and temporary work visas will be issued throughout the year electronically as is the case with other visas. In the past, seasonal work visas were only issued for Haj-related work. Separately, the Cabinet slammed the recent bombing in Bahrain that killed a security officer and wounded several others. The ministers said these were terrorist acts aimed at destabilizing the country and shedding the blood of innocent people. Majed Al-Qassabi, the minister of social affairs and acting minister of culture and information, said in a statement to the SPA that the Cabinet urged the international community to take action against terrorists and cut off their funding sources. -arabnews