Um Mariah told Arab News that after she snubbed him, her company forced her to do jobs that fell outside her job description. When she refused to give in to the pressure, they promised to give her all end of service benefits if she resigned.

She claimed bosses finally sacked her on the grounds that she was incompetent.

Um Mariah, an accountant, said she was headhunted and offered a good salary with benefits. However, she says her boss immediately started harassing her.

“On the very first day, I was asked to go out for lunch with my line manager who is Pakistani. I refused to be alone with him and told them that I could have lunch with him in the company's office with the rest of my colleagues,” she said.

From that day on, the company did whatever it could to force her to resign, she added.

Um Mariah said the bullying took various forms, but she was firm in her stance never to resign. She said she was transferred to another department headed by a Saudi woman who, she said, sided with the company.

Um Mariah said they finally fired her without giving good reasons in their letter of dismissal, which she refused to accept. “I was not told why I was fired. I am now sitting idle at home without any job and with immense financial obligations.”

Despite the fact that she was Saudi and had every right to get work, she said the company was taking in foreigners and renewing their contracts, which is against Saudization policies.

Um Mariah said foreigners accounted for about 85 percent of the workforce. She declined to name the private company.

She said she sent her complaint to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, the Labor Ministry and Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, who referred her to the labor office in Jeddah.

“The first session in the labor office ended without any resolution. There will be a second session tomorrow (Wednesday),” she added.