With some nine million foreigners employed in Saudi Arabia, the kingdom has been intensifying its efforts to boost employment opportunities for Saudi nationals under the program.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has been reducing its reliance on expats

'Full Saudisation' plan of government jobs by 2020 @SaudiArabia #GCChttps://t.co/8fqGQXnwJu pic.twitter.com/B0vfQd2klj

— Gulf Daily News (@GDNonline) May 9, 2017

The kingdom has passed several orders under the Vision 2030 plan, including one that terminates all contracts pertaining to expatriate workers in governments and ministries within three years and another that nationalizes jobs in shopping malls. 

In 2017, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Labor and Social Development issued an order reducing the validity of expat work visas for private sector employees in the country from two years to one year.

In November 2017, the Ministry of Labor and Development arrested a number of expats caught working in nationalized sectors. It also warned violators of deportation.

According to the Saudi Gazette, authorities have apprehended 1.35 million expats in the past 8 months. 

Vision 2030 also aims to develop non-oil-related industries, support small and medium enterprises, increase the participation of Saudi women in the workforce, and create a broader investment base in the country.

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