Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamad, who is in Dushanbe to attend the Asian Development Dialogue, met Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Abdulaziz bin on Friday and expressed the hope that Riyadh would not take any step that would adversely impact expatriates in the Kingdom.
The Prince assured Mr. Ahamad that Saudi Arabia valued its cordial relations with India and would always give the best consideration for Indians working.
The Saudi Minister said he would bring the matter to the notice of the Labour Ministry and concerned authorities when he got back to Riyadh.
Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi had on Thursday said Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia had been asked to take up the issue with Riyadh and its Labour Ministry and ensure that there would be no job loss for Indians on a mass scale.
In 2011, 2.28 million Keralites were working abroad. Of them, some 570,000 were in Saudi Arabia, a report said.