Dire Conditions for Foreign Workers in Saudi Aramco
A British newspaper described the conditions of foreign workers in the Saudi oil giant as “tragic”, due to the exorbitant financial losses in Saudi Aramco, which cast a negative shadow on employees who are looking for job opportunities in the oil kingdom.
The Financial Times said that tragic events are experienced by foreign Aramco employees as well as their families.
The newspaper, which reported the testimonies of employees and their families, stated that these incidents include bullying and negligence in providing the necessary health care, which caused the death of a number of foreign workers. It pointed out that the company, which was a dream for foreign engineers, has turned into a graveyard for his ambition and recently for their bodies, as happened with the South African engineer.
The newspaper quoted the testimonies of employees who confirmed that the company has become financially pressured due to the collapse of oil prices that affected the entire industry and the pressures exerted by Mohammed bin Salman towards the Saudization of the workforce in the Kingdom in a way that pushed important employees out of work and fraud in projects in search of the easiest and cheapest way, as happened in Jazan development project.
The testimonials also reveal a culture in the company that suffers from perceived abuse of experienced foreigners, ranging from bullying to mismanagement and accusations of racism.
The complaints focus on the project to develop an oil refinery in Jizan, in the southern Red Sea, close to the border with Yemen, in which Saudi Arabia has waged a war for five years.
Aramco’s net profit declined 48.6% on an annual basis during the first nine months of this year, driven by the pressure of declining oil prices and global sales. This sharp decline in profits is a major disappointment for local and regional institutions and about 5 million individuals who bought shares of $ 25.6 billion in an Aramco IPO in November and December 2019.
Source: Agencies.