São Paulo – More than 250,000 accommodation spaces have been found to house foreign workers in Saudi Arabia during the coronavirus outbreak. The temporary housing units were identified by the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and are aimed at easing overcrowding and preventing the spread of COVID-19 among these workers.
The decision to provide the units follows the setting up of a committee to look into the conditions of foreign workers’ housing in Saudi Arabia in the wake of the pandemic. Headed by acting minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs Majid Al-Hogail, the committee has issued regulations to punish any employers who violate the housing requirements of their staff.
Associations and the private sector are cooperating with the committee to provide subsistence for laborers during the lockdown period. The committee also stressed the importance of facilitating the exit of expats and recommended that workers are lodged in factories to relieve congestion.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
