Okaz/Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Executive Court in Jeddah has ordered a foreign consulate to pay about half a million Saudi riyals to a citizen whom it had arbitrarily dismissed from service after four years of work, court sources said. The citizen, identified only by his initials F.N., raised a complaint to the Commission for Settling Labor Disputes, which referred the case to the executive court. The consulate was not identified but the sources said the court asked it to pay the citizen SR18,000 in back salaries for four months, SR95,000 in housing allowance for three years and two months, SR158,000 in various unpaid emoluments for three years, SR17,679 in end-of-service benefits and SR20,000 for damages he had suffered. The court also asked the consulate to give the dismissed worker a certificate of experience. The court asked the consulate to implement the ruling within five days or it will face penalties according to the rules and regulations, which stipulate stoppage of all government services and freezing of bank accounts. Seven labor courts were recently opened in Riyadh, Makkah, Jeddah, Abha, Dammam, Buraidah and Madinah. In addition, 27 labor circuits were opened in general courts and nine circuits in the courts of appeal in various parts of the Kingdom. A total of 139 judges were appointed to the labor courts and circuits.
