RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov 19, (Agencies): The Saudi government has sanctioned regulations governing overtime work for employees in state institutions. Published in the Saudi Official Gazette Umm Al Qura, the decree grants authority to public institutions with autonomous administrative and financial regulations to designate certain employees for work beyond official hours and during official holidays, including the Muslim feasts of Al Fitr and Al Adha, without requiring additional approval.

As per the Council of Ministers' decree, specific guidelines must be adhered to when assigning overtime work. The assignment must align with the financial and administrative regulations endorsed by the respective boards of directors of these institutions. Additionally, in collaboration with the ministries of finance and human resources, each institution must establish controls to ensure that the assignments are based on the essential needs of the work.

The decree further mandates that financial allocations resulting from these assignments should be sourced from the institutions' own budgets, avoiding any additional financial burden on the state budget.

Saudi Arabia, with a population of around 32.2 million people, is home to a substantial foreign worker community. In recent years, the kingdom has been proactive in regulating the labor market to enhance its appeal. In 2020, Saudi Arabia implemented significant labor reforms, notably revamping its sponsorship system.

These reforms, effective the following year, facilitate job mobility and regulate the issuance of exit and re-entry visas for expatriate workers without requiring employers' approval. Job mobility enables expatriate workers to switch employers at the end of their work contracts without the need for the current employer's consent.

Furthermore, the exit and re-entry visa reforms allow expatriate workers to travel outside Saudi Arabia without seeking approval from their employers after submitting a request.