RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will set up a recruitment company; float an insurance scheme to provide financial help to Indian workers who suffer from non-payment of monthly salaries. It will also develop a mechanism to address the crucial issue of huroob (runaway workers) reported by employers. E. Ahmed, India's State Minister for External Affairs, told a press conference here Monday that Saudi Arabia has agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with India to develop a mechanism ensuring welfare of Indians working in the Kingdom. Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad was also present during the press conference. During his four-day official visit, Ahmed held wide-ranging talks with his Saudi counterpart Nizar O. Madani, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Dr. Abdul Wahid Bin Khalid Al- Humaid, Vice Minister of Labor. Describing his talks with Saudi officials as “fruitful and constructive,” Ahmed said the talks covered bilateral issues, matters of mutual interest and regional developments. “There were three important developments following talks with Vice Labor Minister Al-Humaid, a visibly happy Ahmed told the press conference. He said Saudi Arabia has agreed to consider the conclusion of a MoU for cooperation concerning welfare of the Indian community. Ahmed said in order to minimize the problems the Indian community is facing, sometimes leading to a situation called huroob (runaway workers) reported by some employers. To address this crucial issue Saudi Arabia will set up a major recruitment company (a private venture), with branches in different parts of the country, he said. The proposed recruitment company will run under the close supervision of the Saudi government, he said. Such a move, he said, will help in eliminating the large number of small elements (unscrupulous recruiting agents) that are contaminating the whole process of recruitment, he said. The third development was the intention of the Saudi side to set up an insurance scheme for Indian workers, he said. Quoting Al-Humaid, Ahmed said the proposals presented by the Indian side were under examination for the past two to three years “and we have reached the final stage and soon there will be an announcement in this regard.” Minister Ahmed said although he has not seen the details “we welcome the proposed insurance scheme.” Ambassador Ahmad said by July this year almost all Indians that received emergency certificate (EC) under the Saudi amnesty that ended last month would leave the Kingdom. “We have issued 36,000 Emergency Certificates of which we believe 26,000 are huroob cases. We estimate that there could be 10,000 to 15,000 people who are illegal residents in the Kingdom. Around 50,000 Indians are illegal (overstayers), of whom 80 percent are huroob cases,” the envoy said.
