• Support mechanism will be in accordance with the conditions stipulated in the unemployment insurance system

Arab News

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has ordered the government to bear 60 percent of the Saudi employees’ salaries for a period of three months amounting up to 9 billion Saudi riyals ($2.39 billion) to support 1.2 million of those working in coronavirus affected companies, state news agency SPA reported on Friday.

The support mechanism will be in accordance with the conditions stipulated in the unemployment insurance system (SANID) which covers 100 percent of Saudi employees working in facilities that have five workers or less. It also covers up to 70 percent of companies where the number of Saudi workers exceeds five.

The decision will also exempt employers paying monthly wages to the employees during the compensation period. Companies however are not allowed to require workers to work during the compensation period.

Saudi Arabia announced five deaths from coronavirus on Thursday and said that 165 new cases have been detected.

Of the new cases, 48 were detected in Makkah and 46 in Madinah.

Saudi Arabia’s interior ministry implemented a 24-hour curfew in the two holy cities on Thursday to limit the spread of coronavirus.