Seven Saudi teachers claim they were fired from an international school two weeks ago “for no reason,” with the principal allegedly kicking them out onto the street without their belongings and abayas.

The teachers said they lodged complaints with the police and the labor office in Jeddah and are waiting for a response. They are part of a group of 22 Saudis hired to teach at the school. Other Saudi teachers retained their jobs.

Arab News contacted a Saudi member of the school board, but she refused to comment. She said the newspaper should make an appointment with the school management.

Arab News telephoned the director of international schools at the Education Ministry in Jeddah but no one answered the call.

The school’s lawyer, Omar Aidarous, said the school did not have the right to fire the Saudis.

“The British-Dutch school has been operating for almost 46 years and is professionally run,” Aidarous said. “Many Saudi and non-Saudi students have graduated from it and are now holding high positions.”

“The board members who issued the instructions against these Saudis are temporary and did not have the right to do so,” he added. “The principal crossed the line by throwing the teachers out for no reason.”

Aidarous said the previous management hired 22 Saudis to help the school move into the Green Zone of the Nitaqat program.

“I don’t know why the principal and board members decided to kick out only those seven and not the others,” he said. “All I know is that they are revoking all the contracts signed by the previous school principal.”

The lawyer said that after local newspapers published the story, the school ordered 87 illegal workers to rectify their status and transfer their sponsorship to the school.

“An insider informed me that all the teachers and staff that were hired recently were asked to get permission from their sponsors to transfer their sponsorship to the school,” he said.

“Those who don’t want to transfer their sponsorship are going to leave the school. This showed that the principal is worried and wants clear school records before the labor office asks her about the Saudi teachers,” he said.

Three sacked teachers spoke to Arab News but did not want their names published.

One teacher said she was angry. “I am very upset that this happened to me in my own country,” she said. “Imagine us being thrown into the streets without our abayas and belongings like criminals. This is beyond being disrespectful. I am not going to look for another job now. I’m going to take a break because teaching to me is like a passion. I want to share my knowledge but now I’m not very passionate and only disappointed.”

A second teacher claimed that the school managers insulted them.

“It all started when the principal called us into her office and asked us to show her our contracts,” she said. “We thought it was weird because the school should have had copies. Every teacher had left her contract at home but I was lucky to have mine with me which I showed her.”

“She looked at it and informed us that all the contracts signed by the previous manager were canceled and we should leave the school right away. She then called the school security officers to escort us to the door, ignoring our requests to take our abayas and belongings from our classes. We ended up in the street without any covers,” she said.

A third teacher said she did not know why they were singled out from other Saudi employees and foreign teachers. “We were in our third week and are still in shock. We demand that the labor office and the Ministry of Education look into this insult. This is not a civilized way to let go of educated members of society.”

“I will only go back to the school with an official apology and after the ministry takes strict action against them, because at the end of the day we are Saudis working in our own country,” she said.