200,000 Indians granted Saudi visas in one month

More than 200,000 Indians, mostly domestic helpers and labourers, were granted visas by Saudi authorities in one month, an official said Monday.

"Since we resumed bringing in Indian workers at the end of Ramadan (in July), the number of visas has reached 220,000," Gulf News quoted Ahmad Al Fuhaid, the labour ministry undersecretary for international affairs, as saying.

"Around 44,000 visas were for domestic helpers while the others were for workers in the public and private sectors," he said.

However, the official added that the arrival of helpers and workers into the kingdom could take some time.

"There are several procedures to be followed including security and medical checks and proper qualification and training," he said.