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Lebanon’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: the Kingdom Treats all Lebanese without Discrimination | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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(L to R) Lebanese Army chief Jean General Jean Kahwaji, Lebanese Defende Minister Samir Moqbel, Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri and French Defende minister Jean-Yves Le Drian take part in a hand-over ceremony of a shipment of Saudi-funded French weapons to the Lebanese Army at Beirut International Airport on 20 April, 2015 (AFP).


Riyadh-Lebanese Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Abdul Sattar Issa confirmed that the Saudi authorities used a mechanism to resolve the case of foreign laborers in Saudi Oger.

The ambassador told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the Saudi Ministry of Labor is working with a legal office to determine the company’s financial dues to all employees. He added that all staff had been given the choice to stay in the kingdom or leave, and in any way they will receive all their rights wherever they may be.

Issa said 3,000 Lebanese are employed by Saudi Oger. He also pointed out that the 300,000 Lebanese nationals in the kingdom are dealt with the utmost respect by the Saudi government.

The ambassador also explained that his fears and requests were met with understanding from both the ministries of foreign affairs and labor. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Kingdom doesn’t discriminate against the Lebanese no matter who they are.

According to the ambassador, Saudi Arabia’s behavior towards Lebanon had not changed and the Lebanese are still met with the same hospitality as before, even after the last decision to stop the aid that was supposed to be sent to the Lebanese army. Saudi Arabia had decided to stop the aid in protest at the regional practices of the so-called Hezbollah.

On February 19, Saudi Arabia suspended a $3 billion aid package for the Lebanese army and also canceled the remainder of $1 billion in aid it had assigned for the Lebanese Internal Security Forces.

A Saudi source said back then that Saudi Arabia had always stood by Lebanon and supported the country through its difficult times.

“Despite these honorable stands, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia had been met with Lebanese stances that are against it on Arab, regional and international arenas, in the shadow of the confiscation of the will of the state by Lebanon’s so-called Hezbollah,” added the source.

The source also regretted that Lebanon had not condemned the blatant attacks against the Saudi Embassy in Tehran and its Consulate-General in Mashhad, which are contrary to international law and diplomatic norms.

The source also condemned Hezbollah’s political and media positions against Saudi Arabia and its terrorist acts in the region.

“These assaults were denounced by all countries across the world, the U.N. Security Council and other international organizations in addition to the political and media positions led by (Hezbollah) against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its terrorist practices against the Arab and Islamic nation,” the source added.