ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
The Saudi Arabian government has "taken serious note" of violation of labour laws by a construction company resulting in financial crisis for thousands of Indian workers, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said on Wednesday, August 3.
Singh, who reached Saudi Arabia early on Wednesday in the wake of reports that Indian workers in the Gulf kingdom were facing a financial and food crisis, said that he had a "very good meeting" with Saudi Minister of Labour and Social Development Mufrej Al Haqbani.
"It was brought out that the problem is because of one company which has not provided the humanitarian facilities as per the law of the land," Singh said in a statement following the meeting in Riyadh.
"The Government of KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) has taken serious note of this lapse and has taken immediate action to ensure all camps where Indian workers were staying are provided facilities like medical, food, hygiene and sanitation."
Singh said that the Saudi government was also providing free passage to all those Indian workers wishing to go back home.
"They will also honour the claims filed by workers against the companies, which have defaulted their payments. They have [also] agreed to allow transfer to any other company within Saudi Arabia," Singh stated.
He said the Indian embassy was also preparing lists for workers for filing claims and of those who wanted to go back to India and thanked the Saudi government "for very positive action and magnanimous attitude exhibited".
Saudi Ambassador to India Saud Bin Mohammed Al Saty told media in New Delhi that his country's authorities have taken serious note of the lapse on the part of this one company.
Earlier on Wednesday, a senior official of the Gulf kingdom's labour ministry held a meeting with India's Consul General in Jeddah to discuss the situation of Indian labourers affected due to their delayed salaries in one of the big companies in the governorate of Jeddah.
On Tuesday, giving a breakup of the figures, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said 4,072 workers belonging to construction company Saudi Oger in Riyadh were being provided shelter in 10 camps: nine in Riyadh and one in Damman.
"In addition, there are 2,153 Indian workers belonging to Saudi Oger in six camps in Jeddah all of whom have been provided food by the Indian consulate," Swarup said.
There are over three million expatriate-Indians in Saudi Arabia, most of whom are blue collar workers.
The Saudi Arabian government has "taken serious note" of violation of labour laws by a construction company resulting in financial crisis for thousands of Indian workers, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said on Wednesday, August 3.
Singh, who reached Saudi Arabia early on...
The Saudi Arabian government has "taken serious note" of violation of labour laws by a construction company resulting in financial crisis for thousands of Indian workers, Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said on Wednesday, August 3.
Singh, who reached Saudi Arabia early on Wednesday in the wake of reports that Indian workers in the Gulf kingdom were facing a financial and food crisis, said that he had a "very good meeting" with Saudi Minister of Labour and Social Development Mufrej Al Haqbani.
"It was brought out that the problem is because of one company which has not provided the humanitarian facilities as per the law of the land," Singh said in a statement following the meeting in Riyadh.
"The Government of KSA (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) has taken serious note of this lapse and has taken immediate action to ensure all camps where Indian workers were staying are provided facilities like medical, food, hygiene and sanitation."
Singh said that the Saudi government was also providing free passage to all those Indian workers wishing to go back home.
"They will also honour the claims filed by workers against the companies, which have defaulted their payments. They have [also] agreed to allow transfer to any other company within Saudi Arabia," Singh stated.
He said the Indian embassy was also preparing lists for workers for filing claims and of those who wanted to go back to India and thanked the Saudi government "for very positive action and magnanimous attitude exhibited".
Saudi Ambassador to India Saud Bin Mohammed Al Saty told media in New Delhi that his country's authorities have taken serious note of the lapse on the part of this one company.
Earlier on Wednesday, a senior official of the Gulf kingdom's labour ministry held a meeting with India's Consul General in Jeddah to discuss the situation of Indian labourers affected due to their delayed salaries in one of the big companies in the governorate of Jeddah.
On Tuesday, giving a breakup of the figures, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said 4,072 workers belonging to construction company Saudi Oger in Riyadh were being provided shelter in 10 camps: nine in Riyadh and one in Damman.
"In addition, there are 2,153 Indian workers belonging to Saudi Oger in six camps in Jeddah all of whom have been provided food by the Indian consulate," Swarup said.
There are over three million expatriate-Indians in Saudi Arabia, most of whom are blue collar workers.
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