KSA seeks removal of brokers in recruitment process
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on Wednesday emphasised the need for elimination of brokers for easing the process of recruitment of workers from Bangladesh.
‘We want to cut the role of middlemen. They are making problems here and there in our country,’ Saudi Arabian ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yousef Essa Alduhailan said at a press conference in Dhaka. ‘We want to make procedures of recruitment easier for the workers.’
Saudi Arabia is also keen to recruit skilled manpower, including physicians and nurses.
The Saudi embassy set a new record of issuing 12,300 work visas in one working day, on February 24, with granting about 38,000 visas in a week.
Despite the fact that recruitment was reduced or halted as a result of the global pandemic, Saudi Arabia continued to recruit manpower from Bangladesh, and the flights between the two countries did not stop or even suspended, the ambassador said with suggestions that frequency of flights should be increased for facilitating smooth travel for the workers.
Currently Bangladesh and Saudi airlines operate 40 flights per week.
More than 2.3 million Bangladeshi workers are now employed in Saudi Arabia in diverse fields.
Essa Yousef said the Saudi authorities would conduct a study on developing an exclusive economic zone for facilitating investment of the Saudi companies in Bangladesh.
Replying to a question on the potential of signing an agreement on developing a special economic zone in Mirsharai of Chattogam during a visit of Saudi foreign minister to Bangladesh in March, he said the two sides were working on the matter, ‘but there are only two weeks’ while the Saudi authorities were conducting a study on the matter.
The Bangladesh government has proposed to develop a 300 acre economic zone exclusively for the Saudi investors here.
Engineering Dimensions, a Saudi Arabian enterprise, has confirmed a $1.8 billion investment in Bangladesh.
Saudi Arabia was also considering scopes to invest in the construction of rail links connecting Dhaka and the Payra port, including the development of Cox’s Bazar as an international tourist destination.
Saudi ACWA Power has already announced to invest $ 600 million to build 700MW power plant and proposed an investment of a total $ 3.5 billion dollar in Bangladesh.
The Saudi Red Sea Gateway Terminal wants to invest $ 1.2 billion in Bangladesh.
Saudi Arabia was also keen in enhancing defence cooperation with engagements between the military industries and visits at the level of chiefs of Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force and Bangladesh Navy.
Replying to a question regarding performing hajj by pilgrims this year, he said there was no indication from the Saudi authorities of accommodating pilgrims this year.
Saudi foreign minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud would be in Dhaka on March 16, he said.