Saudi Arabia’s biggest construction companies have felt the pinch.
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Earlier on Wednesday, Haq had said that the Pakistan Embassy had provided basic amenities including food to countrymen stuck there.
The minister issued orders to allow the Indian workers to immediately transfer their sponsorship and renew their residence permits.
Low oil prices have slashed economic growth and forced the Saudi government to cut spending.
The full extent of the crisis has emerged over the past few days with moves by various governments to start helping their stranded citizens.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said there are only around 300 workers from the southern state among the stranded lot.
An Indian minister visited Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to try to bring home thousands of laid-off Indian workers stranded without money for food or plane tickets, while Riyadh said it would swiftly resolve the crisis.
“Indian officials have been using the hashtag “#NoIndianLeftBehind” to highlight their efforts. They were not given monthly salaries due to financial hang-ups of their employer, M/s. Saad Contracting and Construction Company.
Pakistan, too, has promised action.
Acting upon the directions of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the embassy has also facilitated Pakistani workforce in compiling claims for their dues and salaries.
Embassy officials provide them with a few bags of rice weighing a kilogram each which are not enough for around 240 of them, they said. They are our strength and pride.
“Officials say over 8,000 Pakistani workers are affected”.
On July 31, Swaraj tweeted that workers in Kuwait have also lost their jobs and are suffering food shortages, but that the situation there is more manageable.
Data from other countries is also beginning to emerge.
In this regards, the foreign ministry said it has allocated Rs2.
Garry Martinez, the chairman of the Migrante group, which works for the millions of Filipino overseas workers worldwide, said some Filipinos “have nothing to eat and have to go through the garbage for food”.
“The Indian nationals working In Saudi Arabia are very much appreciated by Saudi society and government for their contribution to the development of the country and their respect for the laws of the land”, Al Saty said, adding that relations between his country and India continue to be excellent.
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Ahead of Singh’s visit, his ministerial colleague MJ Akbar, who looks after issues relating to Gulf region, met Saudi Ambassador Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati and discussed the issue of the jobless Indians. “We have been directed by the [Saudi kingdom] to take all measures necessary to solve the problem [at] the expense of Saudi Arabia”.
