An estimated one million Bangladeshi nationals are currently employed in the Saudi kingdom, while another two million Bangladeshis reside and work throughout the rest of the Arabian Gulf region, most are employed as unskilled labor.
The Labor Ministries of Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh are looking into the possibility of establishing a vocational center in Riyadh that will provide Bangladeshi workers with professional training before entering the Saudi labor market. The ministries will seek private financing for the joint-project, reported Al-Hayat.
The government seeks to reduce the number of expatriates employed in the kingdom, currently estimated at seven million. According to official statistics, 30 percent of the expatriate labor is Arab, mainly Egyptian, 60 percent Asian and other, while only 10 percent are European and American nationals. Asian workers come mainly from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and the Philippines. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
