India's Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, visited Saudi Arabia from September 5 to 8, 2026, to discuss labor welfare and skill development for Indian expats.
- High-level talks held with Saudi Minister Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi
- Focus on supporting the 2.74 million Indians living in Saudi Arabia
- Minister Singh visited the Alfanar company labor camp in Riyadh
During his first official visit to Saudi Arabia, Minister Singh reviewed existing labor sector collaborations with the Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development. These talks focused on enhancing support for the
2.74 million Indians residing in the country, who work across sectors including construction, engineering, healthcare, hospitality, transport, retail, domestic work, IT, finance, and professional services. As part of his itinerary, Minister Singh visited the Alfanar company labor camp in Riyadh to interact directly with Indian workers. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh clarified on September 8 that this meeting served as a continuation of established labor mechanisms rather than an announcement of new regulations regarding salaries, visas, iqama, sponsorship transfers, or recruitment quotas. Existing agreements include the
2014 labor pact for domestic workers, the 2016 agreement for general category workers, and the 2022 Skill Verification Program between India's National Skill Development Corporation and Saudi Takamol. Previous sessions of the India-Saudi Joint Committee on Labour Cooperation were held in April 2025 and October 2025.
For ongoing recruitment, the Embassy reaffirmed that workers must continue using the
eMigrate system for skilled and unskilled roles, while specific safeguards remain in place for domestic service workers. For labor grievances—including salary dues, iqama issues, harassment, or contract disputes—Indian nationals are advised to contact the Community Welfare Wing. Official contact channels include the toll-free number
800 247 1234, landline 00-966-11-4884697, WhatsApp at 00-966-542126748 (messages only), or email at
[email protected]. Workers may also reach out to the Saudi Ministry of Labour/Human Resources helpline at 19911. To file complaints via the MADAD portal, workers should prepare documents including passport copies, Iqama copies, visa pages, employment contracts, and employer contact details. The Community Welfare and Consular Open House operates in Riyadh on working days from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM, where officers provide assistance, including free interpreter support for labor court matters, without requiring prior appointments.
