JEDDAH, 24 December 2006 — A group of Jeddah medical interns who had their pay cuts prematurely applied to them received their checks yesterday after winding their way through the legal system for over a year.

The total sum of the checks amounted to SR14 million. Medical interns received checks of SR50,000 while medical technicians got SR30,000 apiece.

“At last I can experience the true feeling of victory by holding the check in my hand,” said Fahd Abduljabbar, 25, an orthopedic doctor at the King Fahd National Guard Hospital and one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit against their former employers.

These interns have been fighting a legal battle involving King Abdul Aziz University, the Education Ministry, the Labor Ministry and the courts since late 2004. The case has received considerable media attention.

Aous Bait-Almal, 27, a medical technologist, also expressed his happiness and said that they finally got what was due to them.

“I would like to thank all those who supported us,” he said.

The head of the King Abdul Aziz University had rejected the Jeddah interns’ complaints that a nationwide pay cut for Saudi medical interns was applied to them months prior to the date the cut was to take place in 2004.

Since the pay cuts took place, many of these interns have moved on to public or private practice. “It is a feeling that is indescribable because we have been waiting for justice for so long,” said Mohammed Othmani, another medical technologist, who said his plans to open a medical lab have been delayed because of this case.

Dr. Marwa Al-Jehani, another doctor who is now working at King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital and specializing in Internal Medicine, said: “We owe this happiness to many, but most of all for those who have been tracking the progress of this case.”

According to Othmani there is also Dr. Mohammed Bakhotma and Dr. Hassan Jamal who were always supporting as well as Omar Al-Shamrani from the Financial Administration at KAAU.

“We were lucky to have many supporters thank God. We do thank them all,” said Abduljabbar.

To date, no public official has explained why in an era when the Kingdom is investing in spurring employment of young Saudi professionals the salaries of Saudi nascent medical professionals were cut. When asked why the decision was made, one Saudi intern quipped humorously: “Smile, you’re in Saudi Arabia.”