Saudi Oger owes SR3bn ($800m) to its employees in salaries in addition to the payments due to contractors and exporters, and money it requires to service loans obtained from local and international lenders.

French employees of the company, who have not been paid in months, have sued the company in French courts. Talks between a lawyer representing 200 employees, mainly engineers and managers...have failed...[the company] offered to clear employees’ dues of up to five months only, but the lawyer rejected the offer, the report added. Meanwhile, the French embassy in Riyadh has been giving financial aid to the French employees of the company to help them meet expenses...until the issue is resolved. France’s Foreign Minister Jean Marc Ayrault, who recently visited Lebanon, said his government was communicating with officials in Saudi Arabia and at the company to resolve the issue...[also refers to Saudi BinLadin Group].