Will Saudi Arabia expel Egyptian workforce?
The fate of 2 million Egyptian workers in Saudi Arabia is on the line in light of Saudi measures to charge expat fees amid several political crises between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, including the dispute over Sanafir and Tiran islands.
The “Saudization” of the workforce haunts Egyptian expats working in Saudi Arabia. It is difficult to determine when the term Saudization first emerged, but it seems to be extensively used in the media now, following the announcement of the Saudi Vision 2030 reform plan on April 25, 2016.
In Egypt on Jan. 16, the Supreme Administrative Court invalidated the maritime border demarcation agreement between Egypt and Saudi Arabia, denying Saudi Arabia sovereignty over the islands of Tiran and Sanafir in the Red Sea. This ruling seems to have brought to the surface Saudization measures against the Egyptian workforce in Saudi Arabia.
