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BD Pledges Support for Saudi Arabia's Skilled Workforce
Dr. Asif Nazrul, Adviser to Bangladesh's Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, affirmed Bangladesh's strong commitment to meeting Saudi Arabia's growing need for skilled and semi-skilled professionals, including doctors, engineers, nurses, and technicians.
He made the statement during a discussion at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday, where he engaged with senior officials and business leaders from prominent Saudi companies, according to a foreign ministry press release.
The meeting focused on expanding labour market opportunities for Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom. Dr. Nazrul emphasized the vast employment prospects tied to Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 mega projects, including initiatives such as NEOM, Red Sea, Qiddiya, Green Riyadh, Amala, Diriyah, and Roshan. He also highlighted key upcoming global events like the AFC Asian Cup (2027), Winter Asian Olympics (2029), World Expo (2030), and the FIFA World Cup (2034) as crucial employment avenues for Bangladeshi workers.
Saudi recruitment agencies attending the event acknowledged Bangladesh’s pool of skilled professionals but raised concerns about challenges such as limited access to information, lack of marketing and networking, visa delays, language barriers, and the absence of pre-boarding orientations.
In response, Dr. Nazrul reassured the agencies of Bangladesh’s readiness to tackle these challenges. He proposed greater collaboration through labour fairs, seminars, and regular engagements with company representatives. He also expressed gratitude to Saudi employers for their support of Bangladeshi workers.
The event also marked the launch of the Embassy’s new E-Demand Attestation system, which allows Saudi companies to register online and attest worker demand letters without the need to visit the Embassy. The system was welcomed for improving transparency and efficiency in the recruitment process.
Bangladesh's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Delwar Hossain, welcomed the Saudi guests and emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation in the labour sector.
Later, Dr. Nazrul met with the Bangladeshi expatriate community in Saudi Arabia, listening to their concerns, including high airfare costs and excessive recruitment fees. He reassured them of the government's efforts to address these issues and encouraged them to stay connected with the Embassy via social media and its website.
Acknowledging their significant contributions through remittances, Dr. Nazrul reiterated the government’s unwavering commitment to expatriate welfare and advised workers to adhere to Saudi laws and cultural norms to avoid legal complications.
On the topic of expatriate voting rights, Dr. Nazrul shared that the government is exploring feasible solutions to facilitate expatriate participation in national elections.
As part of the event, he also presented prizes to the winners of the Embassy’s "Festival of Youth 2025" competitions.
Dr. Nazrul’s visit to Saudi Arabia comes at the invitation of the Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development to attend the Global Labour Market Conference.