Reports from multiple sources point to the increasingly troubling conditions faced by East African workers at Sofra Najd Company, a Saudi-based contractor company primarily involved in oil and gas, waste management, and construction services.
According to testimonies from workers, the company brings in male employees mostly from Kenya and Uganda with promises of employment, only for them to face severe mistreatment upon arrival.
Workers have reported staying in Saudi Arabia for months without food or allowances, with the company only providing basic shelter.
The accommodation is described as cramped, often exceeding capacity, with some workers forced to sleep outside in corridors.
In a shocking violation of workers’ rights, those who seek employment elsewhere are reportedly denied permission to leave the company.
Those who complete their contracts allegedly face significant challenges in returning home, including unnecessary delays and resistance from management.
One particularly concerning aspect of these allegations involves a Kenyan employee within the company, named Mohamed, who is accused of colluding with management to enforce these exploitative practices.
This person reportedly plays a key role in perpetuating the harsh treatment experienced by fellow workers.
Sofra Najd Company, based in Riyadh, is a small but diversified player in the Saudi construction, oil and gas, waste management, and facility maintenance sectors.
While it has been operational since its registration with the Saudi Contractors Authority in 2022, its practices have come under scrutiny, with workers urging fellow Kenyans to avoid accepting job offers from the company.
For those considering employment opportunities abroad, particularly in Saudi Arabia, these reports serve as a cautionary tale: workers are urged to thoroughly vet employers, with special emphasis on companies offering jobs that may seem too good to be true.
“Hello Cyprian, hide my identity. So, there is a Human Resource Company in Saudi Arabia called Sofra Najd Company. They hire men only from Kenya and Uganda. They bring you here, and you stay for two or three months without food or allowances. They just provide shelter. The accommodation is so tiny, and we are congested here. Sometimes it is full to capacity; people have to sleep outside in the corridors. If you get a job outside, they don’t allow you, and if you finish your contract, going home is a nightmare. We have a Kenyan citizen in the office who has joined forces with the management to do all this. His name is Mohamed. Kindly share this: any Kenyan who gets a job offer from Sofra Najd should avoid it like a plague.”
