Hassan Cheruppa

Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — India’s Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed said India is expecting humanitarian gestures from Saudi authorities that will provide relief to hundreds of thousands of expatriates affected by the implementation of Nitaqat Saudization program.



“We pin great hope on the outcome of our meetings with senior Saudi officials, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Saud Al-Faisal and Minister of Labor Adel Fakieh. The expatriate Indian community will soon enjoy the fruits of endeavors being initiated by the newly formed India-Saudi Joint Group,” he said, hoping expatriates will get some good news in the near future.



The minister was speaking at a public reception hosted by the Jeddah Central Committee of the Kerala Muslim Cultural Center (KMCC) here on Sunday.



Ahamed was part of a high-level Indian delegation, which also comprised Vayalar Ravi, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, and T.K.A. Nair, Adviser to the Prime Minister. Ahamed said India respects the steps being taken by the Saudi government to rectify the status of the vast majority of guest workers in the Kingdom. “We value highly the Saudi move to regularize and reform its employment market, and India does not interfere in this as it is an internal affair. We are also thankful to the Saudi government and people for their consideration and high regard for the Indians as sincere, hardworking and law-abiding guest workers,” he said.



Ahamed noted that there are 2.4 million Indians out of the total eight million foreigners in the Kingdom. “Indians are one of the largest expatriate communities in the Kingdom, but the number of Indians involved in illegal activities and other crimes is the lowest. We are trying to solve the crisis facing a section of the Indian community without affecting the historic bilateral relations between the two countries,” he said.



K.P. Muhammed Kutty, President of KMCC Saudi National Committee, inaugurated the event, chaired by Ahamed Palayat, President of Jeddah KMCC Central Committee. Suhail Ijaz Khan, joint secretary at the Office of India’s External Affairs, Noor Muhammad Sheikh, Haj Consul, S.R.H. Fahmi, Welfare Consul at Jeddah Consulate General, and Rajkumar, Consul, as well as leaders of various organizations representing the Keralite community in Jeddah attended the reception.



Jeddah KMCC General Secretary Abubacker Arimbra welcomed the gathering while Secretary E.P. Ubaidullah gave a vote of thanks.