Saudi Arabia extends entry, exit visas for Pakistani workers

An aerial view shows deserted streets in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah on April 21, 2020, as the message "stay home" is displayed on a tower during the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis. (AFP)

• The Kingdom bars organizations from sacking Pakistani employees for the next three months
• The two sides also agreed to evaluate the idea of resuming flight operations between them

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in Saudi Arabia have decided to extend the entry and exit visas for Pakistani workers in the Kingdom without charging them anything until December, said an official handout circulated in Islamabad on Tuesday.
The decision was taken after Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari contacted Saudi Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Development Dr. Abdullah bin Nasser through a video call, requesting him to stop companies from laying off their Pakistani employees in this difficult time.
The Kingdom's decision to extend the visas will benefit the downsized workers in Saudi Arabia and those laborers who were not in the country when the COVID-19 lockdown was announced by the Arab state and they could not return to their employment places before international flights were suspended.
According to the official handout, the Saudi authorities also announced that they would bar companies from sacking Pakistani employees for three months and ask the owners and management of these organizations to continue paying salaries during this period.
It added that those who had already been laid off by their employers would also get official cooperation and the Kingdom's relevant authorities would ensure that their dues were properly cleared.
The two sides agreed to further strengthen their relations, and agreed to soon discuss the idea of resuming flight operation between them.