The Saudi King, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Friday ordered his country’s government to bear 60% of the salaries of Saudi private sector employees, with a total value of 9 billion riyals.

The Royal Saudi News Agency explained the royal order that it excludes “excluding Saudi workers in private sector facilities affected by the current repercussions due to the spread of the Corona virus emerging (Covid 19) from articles eight, ten and fourteenth of the unemployment insurance system, so that Instead of terminating the contract of the Saudi worker, the employer has the right to apply for social insurance with a request for the payment of a monthly compensation for his employees by 60% of the wage registered in social insurance for a period of three months, with a maximum of nine thousand riyals per month, with a total value of 9 billion riyals.

Commenting on the royal order, according to what the Saudi agency quoted in the same report, Mohammed Al-Jadaan, the Saudi Finance Minister, said, “The support mechanism will be according to the conditions stipulated in the insurance system against unemployment (Sand), for the facilities covered by the Royal Decree, where it covers 100% of Saudis working in establishments that have (5) Saudi workers or less, and up to 70% of Saudis working in establishments in which the number of Saudi workers exceeds (5) workers, while exempting the employer from the obligation to pay the monthly wage to the beneficiaries according to the royal order, and is not entitled to The establishment may compel the worker to work during the period of grinding Compensation. ”

Al-Jadaan added: “The number of those eligible to benefit from the compensation exceeds (one million two hundred thousand) Saudi workers, and the application for compensation begins during the current month of April, and the exchange will be from the first working day in May 2020 to cover the April wage, for Saudi workers in all facilities The private sector, which was unable to pay the wages of its Saudi workers due to the repercussions of the emerging Corona Virus crisis (Covid 19).

The minister continued, saying: “The royal order stipulated that the establishments commit to resume payment of the wages of the beneficiaries according to the royal decree, as soon as the compensation ceased, just as the establishment is obligated to continue to pay the wages to the rest of the workers (Saudis and non-Saudis) not covered by this compensation.