Saudi Arabia Sets New Requirements for Car Rental Staff

Saudi Arabia is requiring car rental office employees to be Saudi nationals beginning March 19, according to an article by the Saudi Gazette.

The article reported the Ministry of Labor and Social Development aims to increase the employment of nationals in the job market and will provide support and training to Saudi citizens to enable them to work in the car rental sector.

“It only applies to the front desk staff currently so supervisors and managers will still be mainly expats,” said Bob Farrow, a Middle East car rental consultant. “I think over next few years in Saudi there will be more and more moves along these lines, already they have introduced a basic form of taxation on expat staff and their companies.”