The Ministry of Manpower (MoM) has extended by another six months its decision to not issue fresh visas for workers in several professions in the private sector. The ban first came into force in November 2013.

Prominent among them include visas for construction workers, cleaners, sales and marketing professionals.

The ministry issued three decisions of which two were issued on May 29 and one on May 31 to extend the visa ban.

The ban on sales and marketing professionals and cleaning and construction workers, issued in two separate decisions, came into effect on June 1, while the ban on carpenters, metallurgists, blacksmiths and brick kiln workers will come into effect from July 1.

The first six-month ban on fresh visas for construction workers and cleaners came into effect in November 2013, while for sales and marketing professionals, it started in December 2013. The first ban on carpenters and blacksmiths started on January 1, 2014.

The decisions state that the freeze will apply only to new visas and not renewals. Companies registered as excellent or are of international grade, consultancies and those implementing government projects will not be affected.

The decision will also not apply to companies that are managed full-time by their owners and registered with Riyada and insured with the Public Authority for Social Insurance.