MADINAH: The well-being of migrant workers and securing appropriate living conditions for them regardless of their nationality is at the heart of the Kingdom’s efforts, said Madinah Gov. Prince Faisal bin Salman.

“Our religion urges us to treat all workers compassionately. And as such, we refuse to have workers exposed to any kind of physical or psychological harm that could affect their well-being,” the governor said during a recent visit to a number of newly built housing facilities for migrant workers.

“Migrant workers who come here seeking a better life for them and their families are our responsibility, and we shall do everything in our power to keep them safe until they return to their homelands.

“We aim for them to return with a positive image of Saudi Arabia, where they are considered as welcomed guests contributing to the development of the country and absolutely not as a burden,” he added.

Prince Faisal pointed out that the Madinah region had taken into account, a while ago, the urgency of dealing with the issue of workers housing in the short term, as well as finding fundamental and long-term solutions to accommodate a large number of workers associated with the ongoing projects.

He added that there are three pilot housing projects for workers in Madinah that will be completed within the next three months, which will eliminate 40 percent of the workers’ housing problems.

Five new sites were also provided, in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs, represented by the region’s municipality.

The private sector and investors will help build the new houses within the next 18 months. The projects are all in line with the best international environmental and health practices.

Prince Faisal was briefed on the components of the pilot housing project in Al-Khalil, which is being constructed over a 39,000-square-meter area.

The project consists of 976 housing units that can accommodate 3,000 workers, a two-story mosque for 900 worshippers, in addition to state-of-the-art buildings that will be used as canteens, supermarkets and gyms.

There will also be medical clinics and public service buildings with specialized security monitoring systems.

The housing pilot projects for workers, currently being constructed in Madinah, aim to ensure the entire society’s health and safety by taking all preventive and precautionary measures in labor housing sites. The will reduce the spread of pandemics and viruses, and reinforce the responsibility of the private sector facilities towards their workers.