Are foreign workers screened for hiv/aids before being allowed to enter the country?

And if so, are they also routinely screened while residing in Saudi Arabia?

I was trying to find some statistics about hiv/aids in Saudi Arabia, and I didn't find much, but i did stumble upon a news article from a couple of years back on the issue and it stated that "more than three-quarters of the reported H.I.V. cases are of foreign residents."

www.nytimes.com/2006/08/08/world/middl...

oops here is the link
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/08/world/...

I had to get an HIV test along with a lot of other medical tests before getting my visa. If you look at the Saudi Embassy website under the residence visa part, you'll see that you need to complete a medical report. If you open the pdf file, you'll see all the tests that have to be done.

I believe that all people who enter Saudi Arabia for work or residence do have to get tested for communicable diseases. The question is...did the doctor really do all those tests or just sign off that they are clean? I don't think in the US the embassy or doctors would allow the tests to not be done because I had to submit the doctor's license number and a copy of all the lab results. But, in other countries, it's hard to know if the system is a little different....for the cheap labor...

.........of course, all foreign workers undergoes intensive medical tests prior to coming to entering KSA. Not only for aids but also to other easily transmitted diseases. Even a small spot seen on your lungs will make you disapproved in entering any country. The paper should be signed by the doctor himself with the mark "APPROVED" and he will be the sole responsible for any discrepancies of the results and if ever there is, his doctorate license will be taken from him for life....so no doctors would risk for that for sure......

well, screening is a must but the question is: Did the medical institutions who're hired by the government REALLY did the screenings? Well, 4 months ago when I went to get a driving license, I was asked to go to al-Farabi clinic in Dhahran and I paid 'em so they check me up to see if my eyes and ears work in a way that'd qualify me for getting the license, and there was this Iraqi doctor who just asked me if I had any problems to mention I said 'no' then she asked do you see this thing over there and there was a big E and when i replied by saying 'yes' she stamped the papers and signed 'em.

So I don't think screenings are done in the way they should.

I dont think its so much our system as the system of the country of origin.. Do the employment agencies that recruit thousands of low skilled laborers screen them, or think they will herd tons of people like cattle to us and just assume we will take the cost of all this....
I heard stories and im sure its not all true, but there might be truth in some of it.. that the corrupt governments of places like bangladesh send us their over crowded prison inmates.. they come here, do crimes, (and probably prostitution rings.aand therefore bring diseases of God knows what).. and they are rounded up, sent back home, and the cycle continues... their government takes bribes.. fake documents etc... This is not me saying.. I read report after report in newspapers on this.. but who knows.. the medical exams could also be fake as well... especially when you are dealing with mass number of people moving about...