Held against my will
Reader comment on item: Hearing on "Should the United States Do More to Help U.S. Citizens Held against Their Will in Saudi Arabia?"
in response to reader comment: Helping U.S. Citizens held against their will in Saudi Arabia

Submitted by dalarno (South Africa), Sep 3, 2009 at 16:43

I went to work in saudi arabia, Jeddah in march 2009 and when i got there my passport was taken away and things wasnt the way i was told it would be when i was spoken to via telephone by mr Jan Fourie who works for "KAUST" king abdulla university for science and technoligy and he negotiated with me on behalf of saudi sicli which is contracted to kaust.

After these people broke there promises i resigened but instead of these people telling me when i was to finish and when i could go home they called me to there office and told me that i had to pay them 32000 riyals if i resign and i cant leave the country untill i payed that amount in full and if i dont pay i would be thrown out of the accommodation and my identity will be taken from me or i would be thrown into jail.

I withdrew my resignation because i was afraid of what they had told me and on a later stage again my wife was hospitalised in souyh africa i then asked them for emergency leave and they told me that i must pay them 33000 riyals then i can go tend to my wife. I had to make a plan to get that money to go and see my wife and i ended up lending money in order for me to pay them and go to see my wife,

it took me14 days from the time i told them my wife was in hospital untill i gbot onto a plane after i had paid them the money from the time i had payed till the day i got my passport back was5 days. I have got two kids and i ask myself what if my wife had died who would have taken care of my children and i wouldnt even have had the chance to pay my respects.

I would like anyone that can help me get the rest of the south africans back from saudi arabia to call me on +27838986419 or e mail me on Dalarnom@yahoo.com

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