Daijiworld Media Network - Bhatkal (SP)

Bhatkal, Jul 9: After new rules which laid emphasis on favouring the locals were enforced in Saudi Arabia about six months back, Indian families are finding it hard to comply with them. Several families have been shifting their bases back to their hometowns. During the last one week, ten families from the town have come back from Saudi Arabia.

As per an estimate, about 5,000 persons from here live in Saudi Arabia. Most of them are pursuing non-technical employment and their earnings are limited. A majority of them have settled down in Al Khobar, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Al Jubail etc. While many of them have taken their families along, there are many who have gone alone and their families, which are dependent on the income of these people, live here.

Saudi government has tightened rules as per which businesses like jewellery, textiles and some others cannot be run by people from other countries. Every foreign national in Saudi has to pay monthly fee of 200 riyals, and identity cards for foreigners, which cost 550 riyals in the past, now cost 5,500 riyals. Hence, not only the employees but those who have started their own businesses there are finding it impossible to continue and therefore returning to India permanently.

The returning families are now looking at the government here to come to their rescue as they find it hard to find an employment or settle down here after losing all contact for many years.