The labour minister in Saudi Arabia has unveiled a plan to solve the unemployment problem in the country by increasing the cost of recruiting foreign manpower.

Dr Ghazi Al-Gosaibi wants to cut the number of foreign workers by at least 100,000 per year and is even considering placing a charge on overseas recruitment.

Al-Gosaibi hopes this strategy will force employers to focus on training and developing Saudi workers rather than relying on cheap foreign manpower.

The Saudi government has recently introduced a new labour law in response to its growing unemployment problem. There are certain exemptions to the law, which include allowing expatriate workers to work in a temporary role for a period of no more than two months.

It is hoped the Saudi economy will enjoy an increase of around 6% this year, which should create more opportunities in the job market.