Saudi protection of expats globally recognized: Fakeih
The Kingdom has gained international repute for protecting its guest workers with the labor market having introduced several measures to safeguard their rights in recent years.
Labor Minister Adel Fakeih said in a statement that he was unaware of the accusations by US authorities to the Kingdom regarding the safety of the foreign workforce in the country.
Responding to the claim, Fakeih said: “On the contrary, the International Labor Organization has applauded the Kingdom for providing a suitable work environment for its workers and we are currently enjoying international recognition for safe- guarding our guest workers’ rights.”
He noted that the measures introduced in the labor market over the past years had received a warm welcome from many international bodies.
He said that the number of Saudis working in the private sector had increased by 100 times compared to four years ago with 750,000 nationals employed in various companies all over the country.
“This is a good indicator but one should not become complacent as we face many challenges and all stakeholders in the private sector must join hands to resolve them,” he said.
The Council of Ministers has also approved the Labor Ministry’s organizational structure which will be available at a number of Saudi embassies abroad starting next year, he said.