With 412 Filipino seafarers currently deployed aboard vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac travelled to Al Khobar in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province for a firsthand assessment of their situation.
During the visit, Cacdac met with officials of Zamil Offshore, a 40%-Saudi-owned marine service provider counted among the largest offshore support operators in the region. Company representatives confirmed that all Filipino crew members are safe and that vessels are stocked with food and other supplies sufficient to last several months.
Zamil Offshore CEO Babak Jabbari expressed appreciation for the Filipino workers under his company’s employ, describing them as possessing a high level of “knowledge, competence, and seamanship.” He also indicated that the company intends to take on more Filipino seafarers going forward.
The Al Khobar visit is part of a broader effort by the DMW to strengthen monitoring and coordination for Filipinos in the Middle East as regional tensions continue to escalate.
