Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh, who had left for the country on Tuesday night, will come back only after finalising all arrangements for the Indian workers.
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The Minister said the Saudi ruler has also issued orders to provide free medical facilities and food to Indian workers lodged in the camps apart from taking care of cleanliness.
“The agreement, expected to be reached within 10 days, would centre on the government or businessmen from the ruling family taking ownership” of the company, the newspaper said.
Pakistan confirmed its nationals were also stranded in Saudi Arabia but gave no number.
A worker walks past a giant poster on May 4, 2016 at a construction site of a section of the Saudi capital Riyadh’s $22.5 billion metro system.
Kerala Minister for Local Self Government K.T. Jaleel is flying to Saudi Arabia to coordinate efforts with Kerala cultural groups amid reports of hundreds of Keralites in the Gulf kingdom having been rendered jobless and facing a food crisis.
Gen Singh arrived first at Jeddah early in the morning and later flew to Capital Riyadh.
Haqbani said King Salman had directed officials to take all measures to resolve the problem at the government’s expense, and Riyadh would hire lawyers to pursue the workers’ claims and make sure their rights were respected.
He said directives were also issued to either allow Saudi Oger employees to transfer employment immediately, renew their work visas without charge or be granted exit permits if they want to leave the country. “Thankful that Saudi authorities have assured Indian embassy in Riyadh exit visas of our Indian workers will be processed (and) wage claims will be registered”.
Mohammed Noor Rahman Sheikh, Indian consul general in Jeddah, meanwhile, told Arab News he is preparing a list of Indians who want to return home and of those who want to stay on and continue working for other companies.
Low oil prices have forced the Saudi government to cut spending, creating severe problems for Saudi construction firms that depend on state contracts.
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Saudi Oger workers can not leave the country as the Labour Ministry has stopped the employer’s services, including social security insurance and access to the Passport Department’s portal, the report added. Construction firms have been squeezed financially and have laid off tens of thousands of south Asian and other foreign workers. Many of them were in low-paid jobs in sectors which Saudis spurn such as construction, domestic service and retailing.
