RIYADH – King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, issued directives Saturday to the ministries of interior and labor to give a three-month grace period to workers violating the labor and residency (iqama) regulations to rectify their status. The King's directive came as a huge relief to thousands of expatriate workers who have been under tremendous strain following reports of inspections by ministries on schools and private establishments. Many private schools texted parents informing them about the resumption of classes. “Grade 1 to 4 students will resume school with effect from Mon. 8 April. AIS regrets the inconvenience caused,” said a text message sent by Al-Wadi International School to the parents of its students. “We welcome the directive of the King. A majority of the expat workers will benefit from the grace period given by the King,” said Shamsher Ali, senior manager of a Riyadh-based contracting company. “The King's announcement has come as great relief to all of us. People were looking forward to this. The grace period will help rectify the problems,” said the administrative manager of Al-Baladi International School in Jeddah. Mohammad Abdul, a British businessman in Jeddah, said he was grateful to the King for allowing many people to rectify their status. “King Abdullah's decision comes as a big relief at a great time. All we needed was a chance to rectify our status. It gives us time to ensure that all the people who work for me are also given their due.” Hana Khan, an Indian student counselor in Jeddah, welcomed King Abdullah's decision. “I am in complete agreement with the government's decision. It is actually to protect all employees irrespective of their nationalities. Law must be enforced. However, a sudden action was misunderstood and created panic among expatriate workers. My children are so happy. My daughters were too scared to go to work, but now we are confident that we can resolve this issue given the three-month grace period.” Dr. Sanaa Turk, who teaches at King Abdulaziz University, called the King's directive an excellent opportunity for undocumented expat workers to rectify their status. Dr. Mohammad Nosair, a dentist, welcomed the decision and hoped that the sponsorship transfer procedure will be smooth. There are up to three million undocumented foreign workers in the Kingdom. The authorities stepped up inspections to root out the violators of labor law after the Council of Ministers declared last month that it was illegal for employees to work for anyone other than their visa sponsor. Labor Ministry spokesman Hattab Al-Enezi had told Saudi Gazette that their role was to inspect establishments and write reports on violating companies and file them to the Interior Ministry. The aim of all inspections, he said, was to provide a working environment for Saudis to get jobs and start businesses. But the stepped up drive to flush out labor law violators led to panic and rumors as shops, salons, beauty parlors, private schools closed. The spokesperson of the Labor Ministry also put to rest the rumors about iqamas (residence permits) being clipped by its members conducting the sweep. Pakistani Ambassador Muhammad Naeem Khan while addressing an event in Riyadh advised his compatriots in the Kingdom not to listen to rumors being spread about the raids by the Saudi passports and labor authorities.
