MADINAH, 30 October 2005 — Every year, hundreds of visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah gather in a familiar site during the holy month of Ramadan at the bottom of Al-Salam Road waiting for a job opportunity.

These seasonal workers are trying to earn money while in the Kingdom by offering their skills and talents to those in need. Some Madinah pilgrims sympathize with pilgrim workers by saying that they might be in need of cash before they go home. Others don’t welcome the throng that attacks any car stopping to pick up workers.

Residents who complain to police and the Passport Department about it say little action is taken against the men.

Many pilgrims who come to Makkah and Madinah see a golden opportunity to work and get some spending money in the Kingdom or enough cash to return home. Most of the pilgrim workers are skilled in construction work, electrical work, plumbing and sometimes teaching. They offer their service to Madinah residents for cheap prices — an average of SR100 per day for any kind of work. The price is attractive to construction contractors who see an opportunity to save money and get the job done despite the fact that they are employing illegals.

Many Madinah residents said that the number of these pilgrim workers has gotten to a point beyond acceptability.

Turki Al-Saadi, a government worker and businessman, said that pilgrims who came to this country on a pilgrim visa should only perform Umrah and Haj. He said that the sight of them gathering at the main intersection of Al-Salam Road and the first ring road is very annoying.

“If the Passport Department takes no action about this growing problem, then in the future we will see them gathering in front of the holy mosque,” Al-Saadi said. “I don’t object to people trying to find good, honest money, but this is not the way to do it. They gather in large numbers posing a serious threat to bystanders. What if 10 of them don’t find work and can’t get money and decide to rob people in the streets? This is what will happen, and it should be stopped.”

Pilgrims — or overstayers?

“Every time I walk to the holy mosque, I am exposed to their harassment,” complained Umm Mustafa, a resident of Al-Seeh neighborhood. “They say all kinds of bad words to me every time I am on my way. They know they won’t get any punishment from police, and that is why they don’t stop. What’s worse, if they don’t find work, they’ll try to get money somehow, and if they can’t get it from honest work, they’ll try to steal.”

Some people who once tolerated the pilgrim workers now say enough is enough.

“Every time I park my car outside on Al-Salam Road, I find at least five of them sitting on top of my car,” lamented Abu Saleh, a resident of Al-Harra Al-Gharbeya. “They treat my car like a comfortable couch and scratch the paint and sometimes damage the body of my car. Once I found a tire missing. It must have been one of the overstayers who couldn’t find work and decided to sell my tire. To be honest, I was sympathizing with them in the past saying that there is nothing wrong with honest work. Now I think there is because the sight of them gathered in large numbers is totally unacceptable. The police need to do something and stop them before things escalate.”

Construction businesses see the pilgrim workers as a boon because they’re skilled — and they’re cheap.

“Where can I get a Saudi for SR150 per day to do some construction work?” asked Abu Hamed, a construction contractor. “A pilgrim worker is happy to do that. On one hand, the pilgrim came to the country to perform Umrah, and we are helping them get some of their money back while getting our business done. It is a win-win situation for all of us, and I don’t know what the big deal about it is.”

Hamed said he admires their industrious nature.

“I think they should be left alone,” he said. “They came to do the work, and they will be on their way home when pilgrimage is over. When they stay beyond the time they are allowed to be in the country, then they become my problem, too. I think they are smart because they are using the free time they have to benefit others while making a little cash on the side.”

Meanwhile, for police it is a game of cat and mouse. The problem is there are an awful lot of overstayers. A police officer told Arab News that pilgrim workers and overstayers quickly disappear into neighborhoods when they see a patrol car coming. The officer said it is difficult to chase them down the narrow roads.