For over a year now, Turki Abdullah Al-Amri has been using his minibus in Makkah as a home in which he and his wife sleep at night. The couple has been facing many difficulties starting from the day Al-Amri was inexplicably shown the door by his employer. “I don't have any alternative,” contends Al-Amri, who holds a primary school certificate. “It is impossible to get a job without a proper degree or training,” he explains. Ever since Al-Amri lost his job, he has been in no position to afford the high rent of an apartment, so he converted his vehicle into a bedroom to be used at night. The same vehicle serves as his source of income when he transports visitors and those performing Umrah to and from the Grand Mosque. And to answer the calls of nature, Al-Amri has thought of a clever idea: He parks the vehicle close to one of the gas stations on the Makkah-Jeddah Expressway and benefits from the toilets there which are open round-the-clock. In the morning, he again starts his daily grind of transporting people to and from the Grand Mosque. Around noon, he drives to the nearest bridge to escape from the scorching heat and takes a nap before resuming his trips in the evening. Al-Amri has submitted an application for assistance to the General Organization for Social Insurance (GOSI), but they want him to wait for three more years – i.e., until he reaches the age of 50 and is eligible for assistance. Muhammad Al-Lahyani, Director of Social Insurance in Makkah, said GOSI was looking into Al
