Speakers at a Nitaqat Awareness Program organized here recently urged Indian Ambassador Hamid Ali Rao to take initiative to host open houses outside the embassy premises for clearance of doubts and awareness on consular matters, welfare and other issues of concern. Resident workers of various nationalities attended the awareness program to clear their doubts on Nitaqat, said the organizers of the event, which was hosted by “PLEACEINDIA” in association with Nesto Hypermarket and Saudi Times. Ashraf, one of the organizers, said that it was the corporate responsibility of Nesto to provide such social services to the needy people residing in Batha. Latheef Thechy, a participant in the program, said that the PleaceIndia will organize “Nitawqt Awareness programs” in several parts of Saudi Arabia, in association with local organizations. Around 2000 people, mostly representing various states in India, participated in the event. Other nationalities like Bangaladeshis, Pakistanis and Nepalis also came to the Nitaqat counter to clear their doubts. Adv. Vikraman, Adv. B. Suresh, Jamal Vadapuram, Anwar Parulai, Razaq, Ayyappan, Mohammed Vadakaran, Mohandas, Nawas Nozhikkodu, Hussain gani, Noor (TMMK) and Ashraf were in the forefront for organizing the program. Nitaqat is the latest Saudization initiative launched in November last year, which necessitates private firms to employ Saudis. Recent figures estimate that 500,000 Saudi nationals remain unemployed in the Kingdom, despite frequent government efforts to boost local employment in the private sector.
