Saudi Oger granted a new contract to run Holy Qur’an printing press

MADINAH: Saudi Oger dismissed 1,300 employees working at the King Fahd Holy Qur'an Printing Complex when the company’s initial contract was terminated. But now, according to local media reports, the company has won a new contract to operate the complex for the next five years, a contract for which six companies were bidding.
Sources familiar with the situation confirmed that the company won the contract, for which it met the ministry’s conditions, including bank guarantees, and will start operations in two weeks.
It has also reportedly started renegotiating with its former employees new hiring contracts, at lower wages and with much fewer incentives.
If that is true, it runs counter to previous news that it had asked former employees to finalize end-of-service procedures at the Human Resources Department, as they were no longer needed, to sign that they have received all entitlements, even though, according to Okaz newspaper, they did not receive any such rights and had given them the advice to register with the Saned Program to seek new jobs.
Several employees who had been laid off said they found it strange that they were not rehired after the company won the new contract, attributing it to the fact that Saudi Oger wants to cut down salaries of the Saudi labor force.
They said the company had not paid their salaries for their last three months of work and the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance which, the previous contract stipulated, has the responsibility to ensure the payment for being a guarantor, did not do anything to that end.
Some said the secretariat of the complex fired 70 employees and rehired them as calligraphers, which is unfair because Saudi Oger is still in operation, yet failed to pay its former employees, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Some former employees repeatedly tried to meet with the president of the complex to reach a solution, but he refused, telling them that their problem is with the company that employed them.
He also warned them not to talk to the media, they said.

Correction:

King Fahd Holy Qur’an Printing Complex Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed Salim Al-Awfi has denied reports that Saudi Oger has been granted afresh the contract to operate the complex.

In a written statement in response to a report in Arab News, which quoted a local newspaper, he said: "The news about the awarding of the contract of the complex is incorrect. The previous contract with Saudi Oger expired on Dul Hijjah 2, 1437, corresponding to Sept. 3, 2016."

Accordingly, the company was officially informed about the expiration of the contract. "Hence, the company's relations with the complex, based on the signed contract, has ended," he said.

Arab News apologizes and regrets publishing the report without verifying it from the right sources.