JAKARTA: For more than a decade, Ade Khoswara has worked as a perfusionist on a cardiac surgery team at one of Saudi Arabia’s top hospitals, working alongside some of the best in the field.
A 42-year-old Indonesian from Sukabumi, West Java, was responsible for operating a machine that artificially replaces a patient’s heart or lung function during surgery.
Since joining the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh in 2010, he has been able to develop his skills and gain new, previously unimaginable experiences.
„There are many invaluable things I have gained, especially the knowledge and skills I have acquired,” Khoswara told Arab News.
„Indonesia still doesn’t have many new devices and equipment because they are too expensive, but people in Saudi Arabia have a lot of them with the government’s wonderful support.”
When he decided to go abroad, Koswara, like many Indonesians, considered the financial benefit of working in the kingdom, which would have paid him eight times the salary he was earning at the time from a public hospital in his home country.
„There is a significant difference financially in terms of economic rewards,” he said. „In 2010, I earned about IDR 6 million ($372) (per month), including benefits and incentives, but in Saudi Arabia, I would earn about IDR 50 million.”
Since moving to Riyadh, Koswara – the head of the Indonesian National Nurses Association in Saudi Arabia – has worked with doctors from the United States and Europe and learned to adhere to international standards at the hospital. He trained abroad to improve his skills.
„I got the chance to go to Germany and it was amazing because I dreamed of going there and it came true… It makes me happy and motivated,” he said.
“The opportunities here are equal. This is not only for Saudis, but also when they see potential in any employee, even if they are not Saudi nationals.
Koswara said other Indonesian nurses are more likely to pursue a career in Saudi Arabia.
„Especially for Indonesian nurses, the international career opportunity is huge in the Middle East, especially in Saudi Arabia. We have the opportunity to enter this market, gain new and better experiences, and get better financial reward,” he said.
Saudi Arabia is one of the top destination countries for Indonesian migrant workers and ranked seventh last year, according to government data.
But since most of them are domestic workers, Koswara estimates there are about 600 Indonesian nurses currently working in the kingdom.
Another is Akir Fahruddin, who first moved to the kingdom in 2015 to work under the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, which has since become the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
After working for almost three years, Fahruddin worked as an occupational health nurse before returning to Riyadh in 2021 to Indonesia to continue her studies and now specializes in protecting and promoting the health and well-being of workers.
The 33-year-old now works for a company in the floating port city of Oxagon on the multibillion-dollar NEOM project.
From the Saudi health system, Fahruddin said he learned about the value of cooperation and respect among health workers.
„There is no such thing as one being superior to another, which is a positive thing I learned while working in Saudi Arabia,” he told Arab News.
„I feel appreciated. When someone compliments us on practicing our roles, I feel they respect my skills, and that’s something I’ve experienced firsthand.
He is grateful for the time he is allowed to pray, something he has learned from friends that workers in other countries are not afforded.
“If you compare me to my two friends in Japan and Germany, they face limitations in practicing their religion. This is in contrast to my experience in Saudi Arabia, where I am allowed to perform the prayer at my convenience and they give me time,” Fahruddin said.
Four months ago, he experienced a highlight in his career when he managed to revive and save a patient in an emergency case.
„He survived. I was able to save a patient who had stopped beating, which was very memorable for me… It allowed me to reflect on how long I had been learning and be able to put it into practice to save a patient,” he said.
Above all, Fahruddin is grateful that his career in the kingdom has given him the opportunity to support his family in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara.
„I can help my family, help my nieces to pursue education and my other relatives to pursue higher education,” he said.
„I am able to save money for my future and buy property for my home. That’s the joy I get from working here.