An old Saudi man went around the Riyadh Metro worksites distributing bottles of cold water to workers. I found out that he did this every day, especially during the hot summer.

A worker cleaned the streets under the scorching sun in Jeddah. He typically chose intersections, near traffic lights. A young man opened his window and gave him a bottle of water. A woman handed him a sandwich.

We see more acts of charity during the holy seasons, such as Ramadan and Haj. Street workers receive the most attention and help.

All of that help must be appreciated. These workers probably are in need of food and water. But what I believe they really need most is cash. A man in their profession gets an average of SR 350 a month, plus a little food, poor accommodation and less than adequate medical services.

Newspaper reports show that many compounds housing such works are really shanty towns with accommodation that looks like tuna tins.

Workers almost never receive their salaries on time; sometimes it can be six months late. Medical insurance is minimal at low-rated clinics. Some companies even require workers to pay for their residency permits.

A friend, working for a government ministry, told me that he once took a janitor to his compound at the outskirts of Jeddah because the company bus had already left. Otherwise, the poor man would have to have paid SR 50 for a taxi.

He said: “What I saw was utterly shocking. It was more like cattle barns than human accommodation. Hundreds, if not thousands of people, were crowded in small containers, sleeping together, side by side, on the ground, with no privacy. The place smelled awful. Clearly, it was not a clean or safe place in which to live.

“Uniforms were given once a year. Personal clothes were not provided. Many workers had to search for needed conveniences in garbage bins.

“The workers rest only on Fridays, and come to clean our offices on Saturdays. Vacations are no more than a month every two years. And if workers wish to perform Umrah or Haj, they have to pay for everything, including the outrageous fees of local Haj service providers.

“As for food, it was not really food. They are given mostly rice, curry and maybe some canned stuff and old bread. In Ramadan, they get dates as well. As for fresh food, forget it! I am sure food for convicted mass murderers is much better!

“I fled with a sinking feeling ... and outrage! How could we allow this to happen, here, in the “Kingdom of Humanity”? Where is the Labor Ministry which has issued a decree forbidding work under the sun at midday in summer? Why are ministry officials not visiting these compounds to check on the way that workers are treated? Do we need to wait for a strike to realize that some companies are not paying the workers’ unbelievably meager salaries on time? Who would blame these people if they hated us and turned to thievery?”

Those are good and valid questions, indeed. I also wonder about the absence of the Ministry of Labor on the scene. I would add human rights organizations as well. In fact, it is the responsibility of all of us to do something about the inhumane treatment of workers.

Your thoughts are appreciated, dear readers. Thanks for your comments on my last article, “True stories: Expats’ experiences!”

Family visas

Please write an article about family visit visas for Pakistanis. For Indians the fee is SR 305, but for Pakistanis it is SR 2,000! Why? Many brothers like me wish to bring family members for a few months. Paying SR 2,000 to bring a cousin, uncle or any other relative, might be tolerated. But please reduce the fee for wife, parents and children. Umair Al-Haddad

Privatization of education

I am an Indian teaching at Taibah University in Madinah. I hold a PhD in English. I wish to know about the privatization of education in Saudi Arabia. I have a feeling of insecurity about it. But I don’t really know the details. Shadan Talat

Breach of contract

I joined my company here in 2016 as a sales executive at a salary of SR 2,750 a month. I was promoted to manager but my salary has not changed. Therefore, I decided not to renew my contract and return home. I changed my mind when they promised to increase my salary to SR 5,500. After three months, they just added SR 1,000. Where do I go? What do I do? Hassan

Homeless at home!

The point in your article about people becoming homeless when they go back to their original countries is an eye-opener. I appreciate it. Anbumani (new to Saudi Arabia)

— Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be reached at kbatarfi@gmail.com. Follow him at Twitter: @kbatarfi