Coronavirus: Picture of migrant worker dressed as box of hand sanitiser sparks global outrage

Pictures of a migrant worker dressed as a giant box of hand sanitiser in Saudi Arabia have sparked global outrage.

The images, which emerged on social media earlier this week, show a man wearing a face mask and a box with the words "hand sanitiser" written on it, standing in the lobby of the oil giant Saudi Aramco's headquarters.

The images were widely slammed on social media as racist, with some comparing it to "slavery".

#Saudi @ARAMCO’s idea of a hand sanitizer stand: a foreign worker from a poor country.

The company apologized after a wave of criticism for its utter #racism & disregard of human dignity.

Mistreatment of forein labor in some Gulf countries is outrageously rampant. pic.twitter.com/FpTohYmQEC

— Dr. Abbas Kadhim (@DrAbbasKadhim) March 10, 2020

Slavery was never abolished here, just repackaged. https://t.co/W1gFWeWLVl

— Naser (@NaserMestarihi) March 10, 2020

Humiliation of @Saudi_Aramco worker reflects serious failure of Arab companies to respect human rightshttps://t.co/ahRCe2sN4z

— ImpACT International 🔎 (@ImpactPolicies) March 11, 2020

After the pictures went viral, Saudi Aramco released a statement on Twitter saying it was "strongly dissatisfied" with what happened, and was taking measures to ensure it wouldn't happen again.

The oil giant did not issue an apology to the man, or explain why he had been made to wear the costume.

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There are 21 cases of coronavirus currently reported in Saudi Arabia.

The country has been slammed for its human rights record and treatment of migrant workers, who make up a large chunk of the kingdom's workforce.

Saudi Aramco is the most valuable company in the world. Last December, its initial public offering was the largest in history at US$1.7 trillion.

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But its shares have fallen more than 11 per cent amid concerns the coronavirus outbreak will slow oil demand from China.

The World Health Organisation has officially declared the virus a pandemic, with more than 118,000 cases worldwide.