The Shura Council has decided to maintain its earlier decision to reduce private sector working hours to 40 hours per week, as part of the Kingdom’s efforts to bolster Saudisation through more attractive working conditions. The decision was approved after various discussions, including calls to raise the minimum wage to SAR6,000, and proposals to reduce working hours for women in the private sector to six hours per day. Contending views argued that the reduction in working hours would increase the prices of goods and services and will result in short-term problems for the national economy. Also, the Ministry of Civil Services issued a decision to limit disruption to workflow by leaving during official working hours. In the case of repeated disruption, employees will not be allowed to leave during the entirety of the work day and will therefore spend seven hours (155 hours per month) at the office. (Argaam)