The Indonesian expatriate community in the Kingdom, which is largely made up of domestic workers and which accounts for the largest number of runaways within the country, is in a frenzy over procedures to legalize their employment status in time for today's deadline.

Indonesian workers, in particular, fear they may not be able to return to the Kingdom owing to the current suspension of recruitment of domestic workers from Indonesia.

This has led to many Indonesians opting for status legalization as opposed to repatriation.

Many middle-class and working class Saudi families prefer Indonesian domestic workers and have been on a desperate search to hire Indonesian housemaids amid the manpower shortage and the race against the amnesty deadline.

The amnesty period announced by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, provided ample opportunity for Saudi families to hire runaways and workers seeking sponsorship transfer and for Indonesian domestic workers to seek employment.

However, the process is proving cumbersome with the Indonesian government's new stipulations. Indonesian authorities are insisting on a minimum salary of SR1,200 and a contract signed by the Saudi employer with proof of ID in the presence of a consulate official.

They also demand that the document be legally valid and binding in case of a violation by either party.

The Indonesian Consulate is issuing regular passports only to Indonesian nationals who bring their Saudi sponsors to the consulate to sign the contract that guarantees the welfare and protection of the Indonesian domestic workers.

Though the Indonesian government has acted in the greater interest of its nationals, the current situation has turned problematic and is delaying the legalization process.

The Saudi government, on the other hand, has reservations on the minimum wage stipulation and other conditions, which is one of the reasons behind the suspension of recruitment from Jakarta.

The Indonesian government kept the consul general position at the Indonesian Consulate in Jeddah vacant for months and only filled the vacancy when an angry mob attacked the consulate on July 9.