As many as 5,000 Indian expats have been employed in various fields and by different companies following proactive measures taken by the Indian Consulate to help Indians affected by the new labor laws.
Indian Consul General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai said yesterday that since the announcement of the grace period, the consulate had vigorously taken up a drive to help eligible Indians find employment.
The success ratio was fairly high with candidates ranging from labor to engineers, who had been declared “absconders” by their sponsors or those who fall under the red Nitaqat zone and even those who had not been able to renew their iqamas with their current sponsors, finding suitable jobs, he said, adding that everyday hundreds of candidates were being interviewed by potential employers in the consulate premises.
Stating that over a dozen employers including high-profile business houses and industrial organizations were deputing their representatives to the consulate to conduct spot interviews, he said many business organizations had also set up recruitment stalls in the consulate premises. The consulate hoped to far exceed the 5,000-mark by the end of the grace period, he said.
Job fairs will also be conducted on June 20 and June 27 with the intention of providing job opportunities to Indians who had been declared “huroob” or whose sponsors fall under red category or who have not been able to renew their iqamas with their current sponsors. These job fairs were expected to throw up another 4,000 jobs to eligible candidates.
5,000 Nitaqat-hit Indians find jobs
5,000 Nitaqat-hit Indians find jobs
Saudi wildlife center records rare sighting of critically endangered leatherback turtle in Red Sea
- NCW says the leatherback traveled thousands of kilometers to reach the Red Sea
- The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, some 6,500 km distant
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's National Center for Wildlife (NCW) has documented a rare sighting of a leatherback sea turtle in the Red Sea, marking a significant biological record for one of the planet's most critically endangered marine species.
The sighting occurred approximately 30 kilometers off the coast of Al-Qunfudhah within the Blue Holes Protected Area, a newly established marine reserve, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The NCW confirmed that the presence of a leatherback in these waters is an exceptional event. Recognized as the largest turtle species on Earth, the leatherback can weigh up to 900 kilograms. It is easily identified by its unique leathery, black carapace—distinguished by five longitudinal ridges rather than a hard bony shell—and its ability to dive to depths exceeding 1,000 meters.
Noting the species' migratory nature, the center explained that leatherbacks travel thousands of kilometers foraging for jellyfish. The specimen likely navigated through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in search of food.
This is considered a remarkable journey, the NCW said, noting that the nearest known populations reside in the Indian Ocean, spanning waters from South Africa to Sri Lanka (roughly 7,000 to 8,000 kilometers away). The closest known nesting grounds are located in India’s Andaman Islands, approximately 6,500 kilometers distant. No nesting activity has been recorded in the Red Sea.
According to the IUCN Red List, the leatherback is Critically Endangered in the Indian Ocean. While data for the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf is scarce, recent isolated sightings include a juvenile recorded in Jordan in December 2025 and another off Djibouti in 2019.
The NCW emphasized that these rare appearances highlight the ecological importance of the Kingdom's marine conservation efforts in the Red Sea. The center pointed to the Farasan Islands Marine Protected Area, along with the new Blue Holes and Ras Hatiba reserves, as critical sanctuaries that could support the potential expansion of such endangered species' ranges.
