‘Free visa’ dealers face crackdown

July 14, 2013

Riyadh, Jul 14: The Labor Ministry is taking new measures to prevent illegal visa trade.

Officials said the ministry had amended the Labor Law to block fake firms from recruiting foreigners.

Work permits issued by fake companies, commonly described as ‘free visas’, are being blamed for various malpractices in the Kingdom’s labor market.

Labor Minister Adel Fakeih has approved amendments to Article 15 of the executive bylaw by adding cases when recruitment applications could be rejected. Nearly four million guest workers have arrived in the Kingdom on ‘free visas.’

“If any firm presented an application to the ministry or labor office providing fake information and was confirmed after inspection, all recruitment procedures for that firm will be stopped and the visas issued for that firm will be canceled,” the new law said.

“The ministry will not issue work permits to those who have been recruited on such visas. Punitive action will be taken against errants firm under anti-forgery regulations and other related laws,” it added.

Deputy Labor Minister Mufarrej Al-Haqabani said the amended law would stop people from obtaining visas by providing false information.

“This comes in line with the ministry’s efforts to improve work atmosphere in the labor market and create more job opportunities for Saudi nationals,” he said.

Al-Haqabani called on all companies to provide accurate data in their visa applications in order to avoid punishment.

“This is another good move taken by the ministry to strengthen the labor market,” said Ibrahim Badawood, managing director of ALJ Community Initiatives.

“It will ensure recruitment of qualified and trained foreign workers,” he told Arab News.

At present many foreigners come to the Kingdom to get trained in various professions.

He advised Saudi companies against recruiting unskilled foreigners. They should employ citizens and provide them with on-the-job training, he said.

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Syrian Town erupts after Israeli forces enter Beit Jinn; heavy casualties reported

News Network

November 28,2025

Several Syrians were killed and more than two dozen others injured in Israeli strikes on the outskirts of Damascus, amid intensified incursions by the occupying regime since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rule.

Syrian state TV reported that the casualties occurred during an overnight Israeli assault involving helicopters and drones on the town of Beit Jinn in the Damascus countryside. The attack followed an Israeli military unit’s entry into the town, where they were surrounded by local residents, leading to gunfire and direct confrontations.

According to the report, “The occupation army’s helicopters and artillery shelled Beit Jinn, located at the foothills of Mount Hermon, resulting in 13 martyrs and 25 injured civilians.” The broadcaster did not specify the full extent of damage.

Al-Ikhbariyah Syria confirmed that the shelling coincided with Israeli soldiers entering Beit Jinn, while artillery pounded surrounding areas. The broadcaster stated that the escalation began after local residents clashed with an Israeli patrol that had infiltrated the southern town and “kidnapped” three young men.

Following a two-hour exchange of heavy fire, Israeli forces withdrew and repositioned on the hill of Butt al-Warda at the town’s outskirts.

Israeli media acknowledged that six soldiers were wounded in the clashes—three of them seriously—describing the confrontation as a “sudden ambush” that forced the deployment of reserve units and air support to secure an exit route. No further details were provided.

The aggression has fueled renewed displacement from Beit Jinn, with residents fleeing to nearby villages amid increasingly frequent Israeli attacks.

The raid came just a day after Israeli troops carried out another ground incursion into Umm al-Luqas village in Quneitra province. According to SANA, an Israeli unit in four vehicles entered the village, raided several homes, and later withdrew.

Syria condemned the repeated incursions as violations of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and UN resolutions, urging the international community to enforce compliance and pressure Israel to halt its operations and withdraw fully.

Israel has expanded its attacks across Syrian territory following the collapse of the Assad government last year. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly instructed his forces to push deeper into Syrian territory and seize strategic positions.

Meanwhile, critics say the HTS-led interim government’s inaction and growing normalization gestures toward Israel have emboldened Tel Aviv to intensify its military operations. HTS, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, seized control of Damascus last December, formally ending Assad’s rule.

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