The Indian government has launched an awareness program to inform its nationals about labor laws in the Kingdom and retirement planning.

It has published a 54-page booklet with information they would need before leaving India, on arrival in the Kingdom, and when departing on final exit visas.

The booklet contains details of welfare schemes for overseas Indian workers, the Indian Community Welfare Fund, the General Organization for Social Insurance, Saudi labor law in abridged form, registration of deaths and disposal of mortal remains, burial in the Kingdom, transportation to India, and other information.

Consul General Faiz Ahmad Kidwai released the booklet entitled “Employment in KSA: A Guide for Indian Workers,” on Wednesday at the consulate premises, during a function to inform the Indian community about a new scheme called the “Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksh Yojana.” Kidwai said the social welfare scheme was conceptualized and launched recently by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, New Delhi.

He said the consulate has already held three information sessions in Jeddah. It plans a fourth one soon.

Kidwai said most Indian workers do not plan for their future after leaving Saudi Arabia or other Gulf countries. “After the United Arab Emirates, we are the second country in the Gulf to start this campaign. Our aim is to reach all the workers in the Kingdom. Our target is to hold 20 camps.”

Starting on Friday consulate officials will go outside Jeddah to hold awareness sessions. They will enroll those interested in the scheme.

Kidwai said many blue-collar workers are not aware of the services on offer.

Kidwai said that the book was last brought out in 2002. It has been updated with new information, and there are plans to translate it soon into Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Telugu and other Indian languages.

Prabhat K. Jain, consul for labor, said: “Since our last publication on March 31, 2002, entitled ‘Basic Legal Information for Indian Workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,’ several new developments have taken place affecting Indian workers here.”

He said the booklet brings together information that exists on various websites of government and non-government agencies. Indian government officials had recognized the need for such a booklet during the recent amnesty process.

“We felt that most of these so-called illegal workers did not intend to violate the laws of the land, and would have not rendered themselves so, had they been aware of the legality or illegality of their actions.”

M.R. Qureshi, consul and head of the chancery, thanked Kidwai, other officials, and community members for attending the meeting and making helpful suggestions.