Incentivising the workforce
A Saudi national himself, Al Atiq worked his way up the ranks in the hotel industry hoping to pioneer more Saudis in the workforce.


“This has helped because Saudis need Saudi management to adapt them to the roles.


“They are sensitive and unfamiliar with the services industry,” he told Hotelier Middle East.

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Al Atiq has set up a training room with training managers offering orientations, on-the-job skills and reviews. He has also trained line managers to train their staff, helping them with basic skills such as “courtesy”.


Furthermore, the hotel has partnered with the government-backed Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) to help tackle the wage issue. On top of hotel salaries, HRDF pays new starters SAR 500 (US $133) upon joining a private-sector company, and the equivalent of 50% of their monthly wages for two years thereafter, according to Al Atiq.


Coral International Al Khobar hotel has been rated ‘green’ under the Nitaqat system, and has achieved a 32% national workforce nearing its specified quota of 35%.


“We’ve had a tough time to issue visas. For the last four years we did not have any visas available, this year we were fortunate enough to have some because we made an agreement with the authorities that we would localise certain jobs and they gave us around 100 visas under that condition,” he explained.


Awaliv International Hotels GM Ali Moghnieh had also been granted visas under the Nitaqat system.


“To qualify to be in the green band, hotels must employ between 18% and 39% Saudis. The authorities will give you enough visas that you stay within the green band,” he explained. The Awaliv hotel in Taif currently has a 23% Saudi workforce.


Moghnieh said that was one reason why Nitaqat was better than the “old way” when the number of visas granted was “to the discretion of the manager of the labour office and they wouldn’t give us any visas”.


Both hoteliers have had to delegate lower-ranking roles such as bellboys and stewards to expatriates.


“You cannot find Saudis who will do these jobs,” said Al Atiq, adding housekeeping and F&B service to the list of roles nationals will not take.


Another challenge Al Atiq highlights is retention of the nationals: “We have a high staff turnover as the Saudi nationals are wanted in the market, everybody is seeking to employ Saudis. Sometimes we train them, other hotels offer them a higher salary and they leave”.

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