Saudi Arabia has waived fees on expatriate workers employed in the industrial sector, one of the main economic segments eyed for development, for five years, a cabinet statement said on Tuesday. "The government will bear the cost of fees for expatriate workers on behalf of licensed industrial institutions as of October 1, 2019, for five years," the cabinet statement said.

The government, under a job creation drive, had imposed fees on expatriate workers to encourage hiring of Saudis. Companies have said the fees significantly increase operating costs.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019