Saudi Arabia is working to pay billions of dollars owed to private firms after oil revenues collapsed, AFP reported Friday (November 11th).
The arrears have left tens of thousands of foreign workers, chiefly in the construction sector, struggling for months while they await back wages, the kingdom's new finance minister said on Thursday.
"I do not recall the exact amount now but its billions of dollars," Mohammed al-Jadaan told reporters.
"The ministry is now every day seeking to make thousands of payment orders," he said.
On Monday, the Council of Economic Affairs and Development, headed by Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, said the kingdom will pay the outstanding amount by next month.
Payments were delayed because of "the sharp decline in oil revenue and the measures taken by the kingdom to reduce spending on a number of projects", the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, is projecting a budget deficit of $87 billion in 2016.
