Indian expatriates working as domestic staff are now stranded in Saudi Arabia after their Qatari employers were ordered to leave the kingdom amid the Gulf crisis.

Several workers from not only India, but other sub-continent nations, including Pakistan and Bangladesh have been left without accommodation and money, said a rights group.

The head of Qatar's National Human Rights Committee, Ali bin Smaikh Al-Marri said: "There are a lot of migrant workers affected by this decision."

Many of those affected were farmers who drive livestock between the two nations, said Marri.

"Usually the workers travel with Qataris — many Qataris employ farmers and travel with their domestic workers and drivers," he told a news conference.

"The workers were not allowed to travel to Qatar and now they are living illegally in Saudi Arabia and do not have basic needs.

"They have no shelter and cannot access money."

Earlier this month, four Gulf nations – The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain led by Saudi Arabia announced that they were suspending all the ties with Qatar over accusations that the Qatar supports extremist groups, a claim Qatar repeatedly denied.

The four nations closed their airspace to Qatari carriers and sealed off the emirate's only land border with Saudi Arabia, a vital route for its food imports.

The nations also ordered all Qataris to leave and their own citizens to return home.

Like rest other Gulf nations, Qatar also uses a sponsorship system, which ties workers to their employer.

It was not immediately clear why the workers were stranded and why they did not have the right papers to return.

Some 12,000 camels and sheep are reportedly being forced to trek back to Qatar from Saudi Arabia because of the crisis.

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