Irregularities in the central vegetable market in Jeddah is making it difficult for the government to implement Saudization policy.

The Saudization committee has proposed new regulations to localize the Jeddah central fruit and vegetable market in a bid to regulate the activities as also to nationalize the labor force by 100 percent.

The committee has found labor laws irregularities in the market where papers such as forms of the Labor Ministry were being used for official purposes which were in violation of the instructions of the Ministry of Interior, sources said.

Inspection tours in collaboration with the relevant supervisory bodies have also found a lack of security with only one police officer on the premises, which makes it difficult to follow up on foreign laborers who frequent the market in large numbers.

The market is open from all sides without any fencing. Besides, the size of the market is small compared to the large quantities of fruits and vegetables it receives, the committee said.

The committee pointed out that the foreign laborers usually enter the market during the bidding operations and stay there even after the bidding period is over.

The inspection tours aim to organize the fruit and vegetable market in Jeddah and other shops scattered in the neighborhood by replacing foreign labor with Saudis within one year.

The sources said the Makkah governorate has issued directions prohibiting foreign workers from working in the wholesale operations of fruits and vegetables in the market and on the trucks and refrigerated mobile vans parked in the market.

In case of any violation in this regard, the owner of the shop or shack must pledge to avoid employing foreign workers in the sales operation. If the offense is repeated, the owner and worker will both be fined in accordance with the municipal sanctions system. In case of third time offense, it will result in fines for both parties in addition to the deportation of the worker.

During the inspections the governorate staff also noticed the lack of transportation facilities to follow up on the organization of shops and markets which are scattered throughout the neighborhood. They objected to elderly members of the municipality deployed at these markets and the absence of military staff among the field teams monitoring the markets which led to the dominance of the foreign laborers in the fruit and vegetable trade operations.

Some suggestions to address the issues in localizing the vegetable market were that sub-municipalities and other secretariats take responsibility for following up on the MOL and MOI decisions and that shop owners must employ Saudis if they choose not to work themselves.

Secondly, the sales of fruits and vegetables in shops with areas of less than 40 square meters must be banned. In addition, there should be an adequate transport means for officers monitoring the market and new hires must be included in the teams. Moreover, representatives of the police must participate in the field teams in the markets of Makkah, Jeddah and Taif.

Sources said the Saudization body recommended that the bidding periods be held only in two sessions of morning and evening with at least eight security members on the premises around the clock.

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