foreign workers saudi_arabia foreign workers saudi_arabia estimated number million april began migrating country soon oil discovered late 1930s initially main influx composed arab western technical professional administrative personnel subsequently substantial numbers came southeast_asia saudi_arabia increasingly dependent foreign labour foreign workers remain present technical positions employed agriculture cleaning domestic service industries hierarchy foreign workers dependent country origin workers arab western countries generally hold highest positions held lower positions occupied persons africa southeast_asia government faced criticism legal bodies employers treatment foreign workers background history saudi_arabia undeveloped countries world oil discovered late 1930s country needed foreign expertise labour exploit vast oil reserves result years world war growth numbers foreign technical professional administrative personnel mainly middle eastern countries supplied western oil companies worked arabian american oil company greater increase numbers foreign workers came oil price boom following oil crisis infrastructure development plans led influx skilled workers principally arab countries indians leading doubling population beginning early 1980s south east asian countries thailand philippines south_korea increasingly provided workers declining oil price led decreased demand foreign labour resulting substantial drop migration asia time significant increase female guest workers sri_lanka bangladesh philippines indonesia filled roles services sector particularly hotels domestic servants gulf war sparked series guest workers suspected including removal numbers foreign workers reached plateau 1990s end decade migrants resumed increase according official figures foreign workers filled cent jobs saudi_arabia despite official unemployment rate cent sent average billion year home countries country reliance foreign workers concern government mid-1950s situation persisted reluctance work shortage candidates skilled jobs blamed education system criticized emphasis religion learning economy remained dependent expertise specialised industries asian workforce construction industry tasks response government initiated policy replacing foreign workers nationals example decreed work force businesses employees cent private sector reluctance employ generally considered failure unwilling certain jobs considering lack social value government recognises contracts foreign workers written arabic bilingual contracts available arabic language authoritative contracts contain terms employment held duplicate sponsor worker wages foreign workers vary depending position general holding similar positions earn composition numbers edition estimated non nationals represented population saudi_arabia official census figures stated total population roughly cent total results census indicates cent foreign workers skilled category remainder working agriculture cleaning domestic service country origin important factor determining foreign workers roles saudi_arabia businesses traditionally adopted defined organisation example recent academic study danish manufacturing company subsidiary noted manager european supervisor egyptian filipino employees technical roles indians lowest hierarchy worked production foreign workers presence saudi_arabia tends remain country years skilled workers specialized technical workers american western european occupied particularly defence industries generally feel paid excellent living conditions housing schooling paid employers live compounds communities compound camp left country following terrorist attacks significant number workers english teachers additionally long migrated saudi_arabia professional jobs doctors nurses teachers engineers work health oil manufacturing sectors domestic workers according guardian half million foreign born domestic workers saudi_arabia backgrounds poverty come africa indian southeast_asia work saudi_arabia pay large sums recruitment agencies home countries agencies handle necessary legal dates birth allowing easier access country workers bring needed capital home countries dollars restrictions visitors saudi_arabia sponsor usually arranged months advance unlike countries recognize universal declaration human rights declares right leave country including saudi_arabia requires foreign workers sponsor permission enter leave country denies exit work disputes pending court sponsors generally workers country employers hold workers family members foreign workers free infectious disease including hiv abuse scandals domestic servants saudi_arabia treated adequately numerous cases abuse foreign workers raped exploited unpaid physically abused locked places employment international organisation describes conditions near slavery attributes deeply rooted gender religious racial discrimination cases workers unwilling report employers fear losing jobs abuse forms general discrimination lack freedom religion non muslims applicable american english teachers complained informed day probation period according spokesperson arabian law provide strong legal protection workers face arbitrary arrests unfair trials harsh falsely accused crime reports charged unable follow court proceedings unable speak language given legal counsel foreign workers charged crimes including theft murder black magic worker convicted sentenced death cases worker home government notified country representatives notified difficult argue sentence efforts indonesian government example required victims families grant given blood money millions government consider case january majority foreign workers held death row saudi_arabia come indonesia conditions sparked condemnation inside outside saudi_arabia grand ibn ash argued islam required employers honour contracts blackmail threaten workers executions sparked international june indonesian maid beheaded killing employer wife reportedly years abuse video execution posted online prompted extensive criticism september worker beheaded execution condemned january maid named beheaded convicted murdering child care occurrence attributed infant execution drew international condemnation government practices led sri_lanka recall ambassador isolated cases according figures workers executed january foreign death row awaiting execution
Foreign workers in Saudi Arabia