Saudi Job Scam Leaves Kashmiri Youth Depressed

A growing number of youth from Kashmir valley are falling prey to a job scam that promises employment in Saudi Arabia but leaves them stranded with low wages, long working hours, and broken promises, an investigation has found.

- Agencies

Not only are they forced into menial jobs with little pay and long shifts, but they’re also bound by harsh two-year contracts that strip them of the right to leave or return home.

Local agents, operating mainly from Srinagar and north Kashmir, are charging hefty sums while assuring well-paying jobs only to send the youth into exploitative conditions abroad.

A tentative survey conducted has revealed that around 233 youth from Kashmir are currently stuck in similar exploitative conditions across various Gulf countries.

Of them, over 75 percent are earning just 1,100 Saudi Riyals (around Rs 25,000) per month—far less than what they were promised.

Moreover, about 55 percent said they didn’t receive any salary during the first three months of work, pushing them into financial distress. Many remain bound by restrictive contracts, with no way to leave or return home.