JEDDAH: Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal has directed that Burmese expatriates who have corrected their residence status be provided with all medical and educational facilities.

Sultan bin Arar Al-Dosari, director general of public relations and media at the Makkah governor’s office, who stated this said the governor also ordered that the Burmese community be given all services on par with Saudis. For instance, all pathological cases be referred to major government hospitals, including those needing hepatitis, polio and other basic vaccines.

Al-Dossari said the Makkah governor’s office prepared a comprehensive study on the status of Burmese; they had several meetings with the relevant officials of government departments to study the situation of the community in respect of their security, education, health, and social and professional problems.

Abdullah Qarrache, president of the committee for correcting the status of Burmese expatriates, said the Makkah governor has extended various facilities to them, including education in Arabic schools in Makkah and Jeddah.

Qarrache added that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) honored Saudi Arabia for its continuous support to Burmese and said it is an example worth emulating elsewhere in the region and worldwide.

He added that about 240,000 Burmese in 9 Saudi regions submitted their papers for the correction of their residence status.