10,000 Indian construction workers head to Israel in weekly batches

02 Feb 2024 CW Team

After the October 7 conflict with Hamas, Israel's construction sector faced a severe manpower crisis. Around 10,000 workers from India are set to arrive in Israel, starting next week.

A source from the Israel Builders Association (IBA) mentioned that these workers would arrive in batches of 700 to 1,000 per week. The conflict with Hamas, which occurred a little less than four months ago, led to a ban on the entry of Palestinian workers and the departure of several thousand other foreign workers. Consequently, the Israeli construction industry found itself in a deep crisis, causing delays and halting ongoing projects.

In response to the crisis, Israel increased the quota of foreign manpower for the construction industry from 30,000 to 50,000. The Israeli government approved the arrival of 10,000 workers from India, as reported by the Israeli business daily, The Calcalist, in a report last week. The IBA source confirmed the accuracy of the details in The Calcalist report.

When questioned about the arrival of the first batch of workers, the source expressed hope that they would arrive the following week. The workers are part of the private recruitment track, approved by the government alongside the bilateral (inter-governmental) track to facilitate the swift recruitment of workers into the construction industry.

Furthermore, the IBA is exploring the hiring of workers from other countries such as Mexico, Kenya, and Malawi. The screening of workers began three weeks ago in India, Sri Lanka, and Uzbekistan, as part of the recruitment process.

Technology

29 Jul 2026

AI-Enabled Workflows Lift Profitability and Productivity

Organisations modernising frontline workflows with artificial intelligence, automation and real-time data are reporting stronger financial performance, higher productivity and improved employee engagement, according to a global study by Zebra Technologies and Oxford Economics.The research covered 1,000 senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics in the US, Mexico, the UK, Germany, India, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.In transportation and logistics, 54 per cent of companies that improved picking and packing operations reported faster operational performance, wh..

India Leads Global AI Readiness but Implementation Lags

Indian companies lead global averages across all eight artificial intelligence readiness indicators tracked by JLL, but only 19 per cent have started making changes to their workplaces, according to the JLL 2026 Future of Work Survey.The study found that 77 per cent of Indian business leaders expect AI to change their office requirements, creating a 58-percentage-point gap between awareness and implementation. The survey covered more than 2,200 CEOs, CFOs and real estate leaders across 21 countries during the first quarter of 2026.Despite concerns over automation, 58 per cent of Indian leaders..

Three WOLFF Cranes Build Riyadh Cable-Stayed Bridges

Three WOLFF 180 B luffing jib cranes are supporting the construction of two cable-stayed bridges alongside the existing Wadi Laban Bridge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The project is being developed for the Royal Commission for Riyadh City and executed by the ICRC joint venture comprising IC Ictas and Al Rashid Trading & Contracting Company.The cranes are handling lifting operations including formwork, reinforcement, concrete placement, work platforms, surveying equipment and other construction materials. Each crane is fitted with a 40 m jib, reaches a hook height of 157 m and offers a maximum ..