Saudi Arabia to build residences for foreign workers

The Saudi Arabian government Friday approved the construction of residential complexes for foreign workers on the outskirts of Riyadh to provide them with suitable housing facilities.

The High Commission for Riyadh Development (HCRD), a Saudi Arabia government agency, approved the residential project for expatriate workers that will include all hierarchies -- unskilled, technical, supervisory workers, administrators and engineers, the Arab News reported.

Housing projects were implemented to address the problem of lack of housing facilities for the large number of foreign workers staying in the region.

According to the guidelines release by the HCRD, the land area of the project must be a minimum of 80,000 square metres and should not be located in valleys or flood-prone areas.

The housing complexes would not be located near heritage areas or in agricultural and tourist spots.

The houses would be equipped with all modern facilities such as parking places, roads and stadium, the report said.

The HCRD data also said that about 2.2 million Riyadh residents are non-Saudi.

There are around two million Indian expatriates in Saudi Arabia.