JEDDAH — Around 6.8 million of foreign workers live in overcrowded, substandard or squalid conditions in Saudi Arabia, according to a housing expert. In a seminar held to spread awareness of workers' rights and housing solutions in Jeddah on Tuesday, Faisal Alsayegh, chief executive officer of housing provider and event organizer Anan Iskan, discussed the issue of slums and squatting, saying many foreign workers continue to shack up in abandoned, condemned buildings that lack even a modicum of safety and security. He said: “Out of 8.2 million foreign workers in the Kingdom, 6.8 million who work for the private sector are more likely to live in squalid conditions, inhabiting slums and derelict, dilapidated buildings that lack even the most basic of facilities for decent living. Something must be done to change all that.” As he reviewed the bad state of current housing conditions all over Saudi Arabia, he urged all private and government parties involved in this issue to take active steps to address workers' welfare and improve their housing conditions. His call come amid continuing concerns over slum conditions for workers in major cities all over the Kingdom that continue to exist despite the booming economy and the relatively high returns earned by major Saudi corporations. Underlining the importance of support for workers' villages and the enactment of clear-cut, specific regulations for the locations and specifications of workers' living quarters, Alsayegh said the failure to enact laws governing worker residency and poor societal awareness of worker rights add hardship to the daily lives of foreign workers, whether in terms of living environment or the repercussions of poor accommodation. He said: “The expat workers must also be provided with proper accommodation arrangements in order to get job satisfaction, better productivity and corporate loyalty, all of which lead to business excellence and happier business owners.” He noted that such a poor state of housing conditions could lead to antisocial behavior.
