Dubai: Nearly 1.3 million Indian expatriate workforce in Saudi will be hit by a proposed move by the government to replace them with Saudi nationals in 21 job categories.

The Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, Deputy Premier and commander of the National Guard, has ordered a government committee to work out the modalities for replacing foreign workers in 21 different job sectors with Saudis in a phased manner in a move to create employment.

The jobs where the expatriates will be replaced are readymade clothing, children's toys, furniture, electrical and household appliances, car showrooms, auto spare parts, construction materials and mobile phones.

Other job sectors to be "Saudized" include bookstores and stationery, footwear, perfumes, car decoration, paints, tailoring materials, abayas, the sheep market, frozen chicken, and shops renting materials for special ceremonies.

Labour and Social Affairs Minister Ali Al-Namlah has already proposed a gradual replacement of expatriate workers employed in these jobs over the next three years.

In the first year, each shop must appoint at least one Saudi, and Saudis should constitute 50 percent of employees in the second year and 100 percent in the third year.

In a related development, the Interior Ministry reminded taxi companies that Saudi drivers must constitute 30 percent of all staff within 10 days as a prelude to complete "Saudisation".

PTI