India says Saudi Arabia gov't agrees to issue exit visas to stranded Indian workers

India's foreign minister Sushma Swaraj Thursday said Riyadh has agreed to extend its support to end the ongoing crisis faced by stranded Indian workers, who had been laid off by their employers and rendered jobless.

"The Saudi King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud himself has taken note of the problems of the Indian workers who have been rendered jobless due to the closure of factories there," Swaraj told Indian parliament. "The Saudi government has clarified that it will issue exit visas to all the workers and also ensure that they will be sent back to India at the expenses of the Saudi government."

According to Swaraj, India's junior minister for foreign affairs V K Singh, who is currently in Riyadh has met Social and Labour Minister of the Saudi government and discussed ways to resolve the hardships faced by Indian workers.

Singh visited Riyadh on Tuesday in a bid to resolve the crisis faced by stranded Indian workers.

Officials said over 10,000 Indian workers were facing food crisis in Saudi Arabia after being laid off by their employers. The stranded workers cannot afford to pay for food and a flight back home. Swaraj said the Indian Mission in Riyadh has arranged free ration to the stranded workers.

Reports said the workers employed by construction companies in Saudi Arabia were laid off amid a slowdown in the industry in wake of low global oil prices.

Over three million Indians are working in Saudi Arabia.

With dearth of jobs and low salaries at home, thousands of Indian workers travel to the Middle East every year for better prospects.

A similar crisis about laying off workers has also unfolded in Kuwait. Endit