Saudi labour minister sacked

AFP, RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Friday sacked the labour minister who headed efforts to help tens of thousands of unpaid foreign workers.
Mufarrej al-Haqbani, named to the portfolio almost seven months ago, was replaced by Ali al-Ghifaidh, according to a royal order published by the official Saudi Press Agency.
A crisis in the construction sector peaked shortly after Haqbani’s appointment, as some workers who had gone months without salaries were left also without food and other essentials. The government stepped in, offering to pay for the workers’ flights home and to cover food and accommodation when the employer was no longer meeting obligations.
After Saudi Arabia’s oil revenues collapsed, the government was left owing billions of dollars to private firms, chiefly in the construction sector, which in turn could not pay their workers.
The government has vowed to clear the arrears by this month. Haqbani was appointed in May as part of a major government reshuffle which merged various ministries—including labour and social affairs—to reflect new priorities under a wide-ranging plan to diversify the economy.

 

Saudi labour minister sacked

AFP, RIYADH: Saudi Arabias King Salman on Friday sacked the labour minister who headed efforts to help tens of thousands of unpaid foreign workers. Mufarrej al-Haqbani, named to the portfolio almost seven months ago, was replaced by Ali al-Ghifaidh, according to a royal order published by the official Saudi Press Agency. A crisis in the construction sector peaked shortly after Haqbanis appointment, as some workers who had gone months without salaries were left also without food and other essentials. The government stepped in, offering to pay for the workers flights home and to cover food and accommodation when the employer was no longer meeting obligations. After Saudi Arabias oil revenues collapsed, the government was left owing billions of dollars to private firms, chiefly in the construction sector, which in turn could not pay their workers. The government has vowed to clear the arrears by this month. Haqbani was appointed in May as part of a major government reshuffle which merged various ministriesincluding labour and social affairsto reflect new priorities under a wide-ranging plan to diversify the economy.