Middle East

Jeddah, Nov 10: Security forces were called in to maintain peace and order in Riyadh’s southern district of Manfouha on Saturday night after a group of men went on a rampage in anger at the Kingdom’s ongoing campaign against illegal foreign workers. At least one local resident was reported dead of injuries from a hail of stones thrown by the rioters, who also smashed crs and shops. Armed with

Riyadh, Nov 9: Saudis have begun complaining of surging labour costs following the exodus of a million foreign workers, although economists insist there will be long-term planning benefits from fully regulating the market. Professionals in the kingdom, both Saudi and expatriate, say the freelance tradesmen who used to queue for odd jobs in public squares have virtually disappeared since police

Jeddah, Nov 8: Jeddah residents have called on the government to move hundreds of illegals from under a bridge at the intersection of Palestine and Prince Majed streets. About 400 workers have been squatting at the location for days waiting for buses to transport them to the Shumaisi deportation center. Many were sitting on the ground, outside restaurants and moving in-between the traffic. There

Dubai, Nov 7: Three Indians have been accused of confining 19 Filipinas hotel workers inside a villa for over a month, not allowing them to go out even during their free time or holidays. The three men - 41-year-old electrician SS, 61-year-old supervisor KM and 54-year-old cook KA - who were identified with their initials only, were said to have unlawfully locked up the Filipinas from sunset to

Jeddah, Nov 7: The Kingdom’s commercial districts and farm areas have taken a beating as businesses continued to struggle to staff shops, supply vendor operations and produce farms in the wake of the Labor Ministry’s relentless crackdown on illegal workers. Jeddah’s central vegetable market (Halaga), a key commercial hub that supplies the city’s markets with fresh produce, was hit Wednesday by two

Jeddah, Nov 5: Labor inspectors on Monday swept up thousands of illegal workers in a series of raids across the Kingdom as the amnesty period for expatriates to legalize work status expired on Sunday. According to Jeddah police spokesman, Nawaf Al-Bouq, 3,918 undocumented expats were arrested in and around Jeddah on Monday. In Madinah, police raids netted 300 illegals. Anticipating the sweeps

Jeddah, Nov 4: The revamped national curriculum in the Saudi public education system has rattled schools, with significant changes taking place over the past few years. These reforms are the biggest in education since the establishment of modern Saudi Arabia. The changes have affected over five million students across the country. The re-written national curriculum addresses the long-held

Riyadh, Nov 3: Thousands of illegal foreigners, mostly unskilled workers from Asia, are rushing to leave Saudi Arabia before an amnesty expires on Sunday as they risk being fined or even jailed. Nearly a million Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Indians, Nepalis, Pakistanis and Yemenis, among others, have taken advantage of the three-month amnesty announced on April 3 and then extended for four months and

Jeddah, Nov 1: With the Nov. 3 deadline for work status correction rapidly approaching, many expats are now being told that they are required to report to the Passport Department with their previous sponsors to finalize procedures. “I’ve taken the steps to correct my status with the Labor Ministry well within the window of time provided by the ministry. Yet I am now faced with the new requirement

Jeddah, Oct 29: The Ministry of Labor has warned establishments against falling prey to illegal practices by registering Saudi nationals in the facility without really assigning them jobs. The ministry said establishments that resort to this practice will be subjected to harsh punishment. The ministry pointed out that the countdown had begun for the end of the grace period. Inspection campaigns