Vani Saraswathi, from the campaigning organisation migrant-rights.org, told MEE [Middle East Eye] that foreign workers across the Arab Gulf States often face employment problems but that the toughest to resolve are in Saudi Arabia. “Providing food and helping with repatriation is seen as a resolution. But most of these workers would have paid heavy recruitment fees - and borrowed to do so - so going back without their dues is far from a resolution. It’s just deferring their angst from one country to another.”

All of those interviewed said they believed neither the Pakistani nor the Saudi authorities have done enough to help them.