Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Thousands of jobless Pakistanis are stranded and destitute in Saudi Arabia after the plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs.

The Foreign Office on Tuesday said that government was making all efforts to help laid-off Pakistani employees of two companies in Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, the FO said that Pakistani workers from two companies – M/s Saad Trading and Contracting Company in Al-Khobar (520 workers) and Saudi Oger Limited (8,000 workers) – were currently facing problems in getting their salaries and ‘end of service’ benefits.

In addition to that, the companies had not renewed the residence permits of many of the employees, the statement added. “The companies do not refuse the claims of their employees, but they have not been able to pay their dues for several months. In the given circumstances, most of the workers want to leave these companies, but only after settling their dues.”

The FO said that the 520 workers from M/s Saad Trading and Contracting Company were living in three camps – Dessert camp, Al-Azizia camp and Abqiaq Camp – in the eastern region. Of the 8,000 workers of Saudi Oger Limited, around 20% were living on their own, while a majority of them were living in various camps set up by the company in Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Taif and Makkah regions, it said.

The FO said that the Pakistani ambassador was vigorously perusing this matter with the deputy foreign minister, minister for justice and the Ministry of Labour secretary, besides the governor of Eastern Province and the management of the companies concerned.

It said that the Pakistani Embassy teams had visited all the camps in Dammam and provided food to the workers. “The camps in Riyadh and Jeddah regions have been visited by the community welfare attaches. [The] Mission’s representatives have visited the labour court in Dammam several times and have facilitated Pakistani workforce in compiling claims for their dues and salaries,” the statement read, adding that the Saudi Oger Ltd management in Al-Khobar had confirmed that the company was providing food and other facilities to all the camping workers.