Saudi Arabia: Over 300k workers injured on the job in past 5 years
Source: Middle East Insurance Review | Oct 2017
A total of 307,855 workers in the private sector were injured on the job in the past five years, 92% of whom were foreigners.
More than half (54%) of the injuries occurred in Riyadh, Mecca and Dammam, with the construction industry alone accounting for 46% of the overall injuries during the past five years, data from the government show.
However, the number of workers injured on the job declined in the last two years. The number decreased by 20% to 53,404 in 2016 against 67,087 in 2015. The latter represented a decline from 69,241 in 2014. The number of workers injured on the job stood at 52,467 in 2013 and 65,656 in 2012, according to Arab News.
Occupational hazard coverage of the Social Security System is applied to all Saudi and non-Saudi workers in the private sector, regardless of age or gender. Employers pay the monthly insurance premiums and cover all expenses for injuries that workers may sustain at work, on their way from home or to work. They cover the costs of treating occupational diseases too. M