Twenty-seven Egyptians detained in Saudi Arabia will soon be released, Egypt's assistant foreign minister has told the state-run news agency MENA.
Ahmed Ragheb said that the issue of detained Egyptians in the Gulf kingdom would soon be resolved, adding that 33 other detainees are pending investigations and verdicts against eight others will be issued soon.
The Egyptian government is exerting diplomatic efforts to have all of them released, or at least have their sentences commuted, said Ragheb.
Ragheb urged Egyptians in Saudi Arabia to respect the values, customs and laws of their host country, and to contact the Egyptian Embassy or Consulate if they have any grievances or complaints.
The Egyptian diplomat stressed that the Egyptian delegation currently visiting Saudi Arabia ― of which he is the head ― has been warmly received by Saudi officials, who he said have responded positively to Egypt's demands and proposed solutions for the endemic problems of Egyptians working in the kingdom.
Riyadh has agreed to speed the trials of accused Egyptians, as none of them should remain more than six months in prison without a hearing, Ragheb said. A representative from the embassy or consulate should be allowed to visit them periodically in prison, he added.
Ragheb added that Saudi officials agreed to hold a weekly meeting between a representative of the Egyptian Consulate and a Riyadh official to discuss ongoing problems between the Egyptian workers and business owners on a case-to-case basis. These meetings would also ensure the rights of workers are protected in disputes between them and their work sponsors, such as in cases of escape attempts or firms being shut down, the diplomat said.
Egyptian workers in Saudi Arabia, who number over 1 million, live decent lives and enjoy all the rights and privileges offered by the country, said Ragheb, noting that it is normal to have some problems with such a large expatriate community, whether in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere.
He explained that no more than 5,000 Egyptians are facing problems in the kingdom, which is only about 0.5 percent of the total Egyptian population there.
The Egyptian delegation also met with representatives of the expatriate community, during which they discussed many of the problems with full transparency, Ragheb said. He added that his delegation is divided into four committees in order to best develop solutions.
