Job Discussion Forums

[lapd08]

I have searched through the information posted for the labor laws and can find no mention of a cut off age for working. It does state that the retirement age is 60 for males and 55 for females, but that one may continue working by mutual consent of employer & employee.

I ask this, because I supposedly had a job, then was rejected because the government (KSA) will not issue an iqama to anyone over 58. The really odd thing is that I never sent them a copy of my passport, etc., so how could they know I was over 58?

More importantly though, is were they on the level re: the over 58 thing? I was there in 2011 and numerous teachers were over 58 (one was 69),but then they were there with "work visit visas".

[nomad soul]

[Rostom]

[lapd08]

Really, how annoying. This thing dragged on for about two weeks. If a company/school doesn't want to hire people over a certain age, they should specify that in their ads, as some do and save everyone a lot of trouble. Instead, I went through two interviews and numerous emails and phone tag.
Live and learn.

[veiledsentiments]

Really? Only two weeks? For this part of the world, that seems short. The 58 number has been mentioned here for the many years. That is an entry age... once one is in, it has always been that they could stay as long as they could handle the job.

VS

[radient one]

In the past year, 2013 -14, I worked with a teacher at Interlink who is 68. He had an [i]Iqama[/i] visa.

[lapd08]

Possibly as another poster has pointed out, he may have been at Interlink for some time, but at the age of 68 I doubt he had been there since he was 58. He may have secured his iqama through other means. I don't know, but it's this kind of thing that led me to question my prospective employer's statement in the first place.

[nomad soul]

Labor Ministry plans to retire foreigners at 60
Saudi Gazette report | 4 March 2013
Source: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130304155346

JEDDAH — The Ministry of Labor has drafted a new law recommending the termination of the services of expatriates who turn 60. Expatriates over 60 who enjoy considerable experience in a field that is important to the Kingdom will be exempt from the law, Al-Madinah newspaper reported on Sunday.

An informed source said the ministry and all concerned authorities including relevant committees at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry discussed all important aspects of the law before sending it to the higher authorities for approval. Chairman of the human resources committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Dr. Samir Hassan said it is important new legislation is in place to facilitate the process of replacing expatriates who turn 60 with Saudi employees. He said authorities should prevent any expatriates from circumventing the law by changing their date of birth in their passports. He called on authorities to start working on the criteria they would use to exempt expatriates with rare specialties from the law.

Dr. Amal Shira, deputy chairperson of the human resources committee, said she did not understand how the social insurance system stipulated that Saudis who reach 60 should be retired, while it allows expatriates to work beyond this age. Shira estimated the number of expatriates over 60 working in the private sector at half a million. She called for speeding up the implementation of the new law and considering the implementation of other rules such as preventing expatriates over 55 from being recruited. She said 25 years should be the maximum period an expatriate can work in the Kingdom. Older expatriates with considerable experience should pass their knowledge to Saudis and should not be allowed to renew their work permits. Older expatriates granted an exemption from the proposed law should be allowed to stay five or 10 years depending on their qualifications, she said.

(End of article)

[scot47]

A teacher at KFUPM is about to retire - in his 80th year !

[Rostom]

[scot47]

A country where some respect is given to Age ! No "Cult of Youth" in KSA, Alhamdulillah ! We will leave that to more benighted lands, eg Fascist Italy and the Modern West !

[lapd08]

If the King can rule until he is 90, and Hillary Clinton can run for president when she is 68 (a job almost as grueling as teaching English to Saudis), why can't an individual work past 60?

Thanks to Nomad Soul for the info. Looks like the country of last resort for older teachers is now closed off.

[scot47]

The trick is to get in before you turn 58.

[mkeenan1955]

I am currently on contract with KAU, a government entity. I have an iqama. I signed the initial job offer in July, 2013, when I was 57. I was issued an entry visa sometime at the end of November, 2013. I arrived Dec. 3, 2013. My BD is Sept. 1. So, I must have got the igama when I was 58, because I assume I got the iqama after I arrived in KSA.

[lcanupp1964]

Hi M,
It has been my experience that KAU will grant “one more year” to those teachers at the ELI that are in the situation of turning 62 - the official retirement age - during one’s contract and wishes to renew for another year if they get a notice from HR that their contract is not being renewed. If one’s timing is right, he/she could finish a contract at age 64. I have seen this happen quite a few times over the years. In fact, some of the teachers were being dismissed for other reasons (sucked at teaching, for example) and if they went to the higher-ups, they would be given another year as well. Around 90% of the time, it was Western teachers that were allowed to renew.