The humble life of Vietnamese workers in the Middle East, telling the shock in the country

Not in the direct strike zone, thousands of Vietnamese workers in Saudi Arabia are experiencing "low" days when the specter of conflict casts a shadow over oil and gas sites.

Gifts waiting for the day to arrive

For Mr. Pham Trong (31 years old, Nghe An), the two-year journey abroad at the petrochemical refinery along the Persian Gulf is about to reach the finish line on March 23. In this man's mind, packages of saffron flowers for his wife or bags of date seeds for his children are ready in his luggage. However, the "variable" of the war that broke out at the end of February made his weekend shopping plans in the center of Riyadh go up in smoke.

Although the construction site where he works is only sunny, windy and dry pipes, the feeling of insecurity is real. "Bombs and bullets don't have eyes, rockets fly fast, I don't know how to get them," Mr. Trong shared. Currently, he only moves between two node points: the construction site and his residence, absolutely not leaving the safe area as recommended by the company.

"Abnormal" pace of life in wartime

In Jubail – a busy industrial city, Mr. Dang Huy Diep (42 years old, Ha Tinh) still maintains his job as a foreman even though the sound of military planes hissing through the sky is getting denser. With 8 years of experience in oil and gas hot spots, Mr. Diep chooses to face calmly: "Wherever the war goes, I take into account, the important thing is to comply with discipline".

In fact, the rhythm of life of Vietnamese workers here is operating according to the "tightening" mode: Move: Only travel between the dormitory and the construction site (about 30 minutes by car). Discipline: Strict attendance every night, cutting off all leisure trips to the city. Contact: Update the situation 24/7 with the dispatching unit in Vietnam so that the family can rest assured.

The door to foreign exports is temporarily closed

The conflict not only affects those on the "front lines" but also pours cold water on those waiting to leave the country. According to statistics, there are currently about 10,000 Vietnamese workers in Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar...). Since March 1, the activity of sending workers to this area has been suspended.

Mr. Dang Van Tuan, Deputy General Director of Long Hung Company, said that nearly 200 employees of the unit had to cancel their flights, waiting for visas in vain even though the air tickets were ready. With an income of 50-60 million VND/month, this is a significant economic loss, but life safety is still the top priority.

Scenarios for Tomorrow

Although Saudi Arabia is still open to its airspace, the route to return home for workers like Mr. Trong becomes more arduous when they have to transit through India. In the worst case, extending the contract for another 3 months to wait for the situation to stabilize is an option that has been taken into account.

Employers in the Middle East have pledged to have an evacuation plan and support the return of workers if the conflict spreads. Currently, in the midst of a turbulent border area, Vietnamese workers are still working hard by the oil refineries, while working and praying for a safe flight to reunite with their families.

In the midst of the delicate line of smoke and livelihood, Vietnamese workers are still tenaciously clinging to their pillars, wrapping their worries into each shift with the iron belief that a safe flight will soon take them out of the "fire pan" to return to the arms of their families.

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