A new body will soon be set up to conduct medical tests on all arriving expatriate workers.

This will replace medical bodies authorized by Saudi missions in labor-exporting countries.

Prince Abdul Aziz bin Nasser, who heads the newly accredited body, signed an agreement with the Dubai-based Perfect Health and Medical Performance International on Monday. The company will now work with medical agencies in countries abroad.

The agreement was signed by the prince with Perfect Health and Medical Performance International and Khushi Group Chairman Shaikh Mohamed Sharif, in the presence of Fahad Al-Ali, director of the firm. Gammon Group Chairman Sheikh Rafik Mohamed was also present.

Speaking to Arab News, Mohamed said the new company has been set up with capital of SR500 million. “We are at the initial stage and it will take time to identify the right medical agencies in the respective countries for proper coordination.”

Major labor-exporting countries to the Kingdom include India, Egypt, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam and Ethiopia.

Perfect Health and Medical Performance LLC is the healthcare arm of Khushi Group of Companies in the United Arab Emirates. Khushi Group was established in 1985 under Sharif, who has over three decades of business dealings in India, the Middle East and Africa.

He turned a small transport service company in 1985 into a firm with a turnover of over SR1 billion. He has several business interests in the region including transport and logistics, fuel trading, general trading, advertising and outdoor media services, travel and tourism, and paints and adhesives.