Saudi Slice of Asia at Risk as King Aims Jobs at Locals: Economy

In the Battah district in the heart of Riyadh, immigrants have recreated a slice of home, buying and selling clothes, food and movies from a dozen mostly Asian countries. It’s a way of life that may be under threat.

King Abdullah’s drive to replace foreign workers with Saudis has begun to transform the Arab world’s biggest economy. Since its oil industry took off in the 1970s, Saudi Arabia has relied on migrants for tasks from building pipelines to fixing cars and packing grocery bags. They make up more than half the 11.3 million workforce, and now many are being urged to leave.