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On 6 August 2024, the Council of Ministers approved amendments to the Saudi Labor Law (the “Amendments”) which will come into force 180 days from publication of the Royal Decree in Umm Al Qura (the Official Gazette) which we expect within a fortnight.
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development circulated proposed amendments to these provisions for public consultation in 2020, and again in 2021. With wide labor market input, and extensive benchmarking studies of other countries’ labor laws and global practices, the Amendments aim to further align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by creating a more attractive work environment for employees; enhancing job security; protecting both parties’ rights; developing human capital; and promoting training opportunities, among others.

The General Authority for Competition (“Authority”) recently published its annual report for 2023. This latest annual report indicates an unprecedented level of activity by the Authority and confirms the magnitude of the enforcement actions taken by the Authority to ensure compliance of the Competition Law in Saudi Arabia.

On 14 September 2023, the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL) promulgated by Royal Decree No. M/19, dated 09/02/1443H, amended pursuant to Royal Decree No. M/148, dated 05/09/1444H, officially entered into force in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. While the PDPL came into force on 14 September 2023, organizations were afforded a further 12 Hijri months’ period from the date of entry into force to bring themselves into compliance with the PDPL (i.e., on or around 2 September 2024). There should have been no enforcement action during the intervening period.

On 1 November 2023, the Board of the General Authority for Competition announced that new financial thresholds would apply to determine whether a transaction is reportable to the Authority. By implementing such change, the aim of the Authority is to provide further clarity on the local nexus test required for a transaction to be notifiable to the Authority and to align the Saudi merger control regime further with international standards.

On 13 September 2023, the Communication Space & Technology Commission of Saudi Arabia proposed a draft law on Global Digital Content Safe Harbor. The proposed law is aimed at providing a legal framework for intermediary service providers hosting and transiting global digital content in Saudi Arabia in a way that ensures no objection, deletion or modification of content hosted in and accessible within the Kingdom. If adopted, the effect of the draft law may be significant as it seeks to create a more favorable environment for investment in the Kingdom’s digital economy, and it would align the local legal framework with the international best practices.

We are delighted to invite you to our Baker McKenzie Middle East Customs and Transfer Pricing Briefing.
Hosted at our Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) office on 12 October 2023 at 8:30 – 11:30 am GST, the session is designed to provide you with first-hand insights from our Middle East and international experts in the fields of Customs, Transfer Pricing and VAT.

We are delighted to invite you to the Baker McKenzie Middle East Tax Forum in Dubai on Wednesday, 18 October 2023 – a full day of interactive discussions on tax updates across the Middle East and a special focus on the impact of global tax policy developments such as Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 (Global Minimum Tax).

The Personal Data Protection Law of Saudi Arabia (“KSA”) was recently amended pursuant to Royal Decree No. M/148, dated 05/09/1444H (corresponding to 27 March 2023G) (“Amended PDPL”). These amendments were preceded by a public consultation launched by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority in late 2022.
The Amended PDPL expands the scope under which Controllers could collect personal data from third parties, and process it for purposes other than that for which it was originally collected. It also provides additional grounds for Controllers to disclose personal data, and introduces an updated regime for personal data transfers outside of KSA.

Join us for a four-part webinar series as our US moderators welcome colleagues from around the globe to share the latest labor and employment law updates and trends. US-based multinational employers with business operations in Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Americas regions will hear directly from local practitioners on the major developments they need to know, and come away with practical tips and takeaways to implement.