Employers have to pay fines for any delay in the issuance or renewal of residence permits (iqamas) of expatriate workers under their sponsorship, the Directorate General of Passports (Jawazat) announced on its website.

Employers will have to pay a fine of SR500 if they fail to renew the iqamas three days before expiry.

The fine will be increased to SR1,000 if the delay is committed the second time. The expat worker will be deported in the event of repetition of the violation for a third time, Al-Madina newspaper reported quoting Jawazat sources.

The sources also noted that Jawazat will take punitive measures against those firms which employ illegal workers. The penalties for the first time violation will be fines amounting to SR25,000, one-year recruitment ban, and deportation of the concerned manager if he is an expatriate. For a repeat violation, fines will be SR50,000 in addition to two-year

recruitment ban, six-month jail term for the manager with deportation if he is a foreigner, besides publishing the name of the firm. Fines will be hiked to SR100,000 for a third violation, in addition to five-year recruitment ban, one-year jail term for the manager with deportation if he is a foreigner, besides publishing the name of the firm.

However, sources indicated that the Ministry of Labor and Social Development might approach the National Information Center, under the Ministry of Interior, with a request to exempt those who have delayed issuance or renewal of iqamas due to the Shamoon malware attack. It is noted that only the Center has the jurisdiction to exempt the violators from facing penal action.

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