Bangladesh recruitment ban to ME may ease soon
A ministerial panel has advised the government to lift a ban on the recruitment of Bangladeshi workers. “Recruitment from Bangladesh will resume on a gradual basis, beginning with house servants such as maids and drivers,” a source said.
Mokammel Hossain, Bangladesh consul for Labor Affairs, welcomed the move and said it would help his country export more trained and qualified labor to the Kingdom.
“We have been looking forward to this news for some time,” Hossain told Arab News. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had earlier urged Saudi Arabia to increase the import of manpower from the country. There are more than 1.28 million Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia used to recruit about 150,000 Bangladeshis a year before the 2008 ban.
The Labor Ministry sources said the government would continue to issue visas for Bangladeshi workers, especially to carry out the government’s cleaning and maintenance contracts. “We understand that Bangladesh can supply trained and qualified labor at a cheaper rate,” a source said. Bangladesh has pledged that it would not export nationals with criminal backgrounds to the Kingdom The Saudi Embassy has been asked to keep a watch on the measures taken by the Bangladeshi government to ensure that criminal elements are not hired.
Saudi Arabia will also launch a new service to lease housemaids by monthly contracts within two weeks. The move will allow customers to hire maids on a weekly or hourly basis. Saad Al-Badah, head of the National Committee for Recruitment at the Council of Saudi Chambers, said the Saudi Manpower Services Company would soon launch the service. The company has already signed contracts to put various types of workers on the market for houses and other establishments.
“The company has managed to recruit more than 6,000 male and female workers from India, the Philippines, Nepal, Cambodia and Vietnam”, said Al-Badah, adding that they would work in different sectors. Anybody can apply for the service by accessing to the company’s website.
eNewsDesk / MENA
