More than 160 drivers employed during the annual Haj by the Islamic Awareness Department in Makkah have still not been paid their dues — estimated to be a staggering SR2 million. The department — affiliated to the Ministry of Islamic Affairs — incurred the cost for transporting their guests. Hassan Al-Qurshi, Director of the Islamic Awareness Department, said all the papers of the drivers have been processed and sent to the ministry's headquarters in Riyadh for final approval. He added that he was not in a position to confirm when the payment would actually be made. A source at the ministry was quoted by local media as saying that the ministry's financial controller had objected to the amount of the dues and refused to approve it under the pretext that it was too high. A driver, who worked with the ministry for two consecutive seasons, said the ministry recruits the drivers at the beginning of Haj season to pick its guests from the airport and take them to Makkah. He said from the very beginning the ministry made it clear to us that they would be needed 24 hours a day for the whole month. During previous years the drivers have been paid promptly on the last day of their contract. As a result of the six-month payment delay many of the drivers face immense difficulties with family obligations which they can no longer fulfill. __
