The ban on recruitment of Filipino workers is to be lifted within a month. This became clear after intensive negotiations between Saudi and Filipino authorities. If the ban is lifted, it will put an end to an international row that broke out over the treatment of foreign workers. Meanwhile, a source in Jakarta has ruled out the return of Indonesian workers to the Kingdom until all diplomatic procedures have been completed. Several thousand visas had been issued to Indonesian workers before the ban was imposed and the departure of the workers has also been disrupted by certain complications created by the Indonesian government, the source said. Priority will be accorded to workers who have already obtained visas, he said. Adel Fakieh, Minister of Labor, visited Jakarta last week to discuss terms of a memorandum of intent (MoI) between the two countries. The MoI was first signed in May in Jeddah and will safeguard the rights and interests of the Saudi employers and Indonesian domestic workers. Under its terms, the Saudi Recruitment Office (Al-Istiqdam) will provide workers with insurance and present a certificate to the two countries to confirm this. This insurance certificate will prevent workers from running away from their employers and will also prevent maltreatment of the workers by the employers. __
