India has invited Labor Minister Adel Fakeih to ink an “agreement on labor cooperation for domestic workers” following the approval of a draft bilateral agreement by the Indian Cabinet.

Sibi George, deputy chief of mission at the Indian Embassy, told Arab News on Monday that Saudi Arabia is one of the top destinations for Indian immigrants and that the government has invited the Saudi labor minister to New Delhi to formalize the agreement. “We are working out a date for the minister’s visit to New Delhi, which we expect to be very soon.”

George said a joint committee would be set up to follow up on the implementation of the agreement and that there will be no scope for middlemen to play any role once it is signed. “The agreement will provide protection for both workers and employers in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

An official source at the Labor Ministry said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had received a letter from India. The move is bound to facilitate a quantum jump in the domestic workers’ sector, considering the size and diversity of the population in India, he said.

The labor agreement with Saudi Arabia is aimed at protecting Indian workers in Gulf countries. There are currently some 500,000 domestic workers living in the Kingdom.

Once the agreement is formalized, workers will be governed by Saudi labor laws and they will enjoy the privileges and rights granted under the local regulations. It will also help in streamlining the labor market.