Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia sign labour recruitment deal

NN ONLINE:

In a landmark move poised to reshape one of the world’s most crucial migration routes, Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia have signed their first comprehensive framework governing the general recruitment of Bangladeshi workers.

The agreement was formalized in Riyadh on Monday by Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser, Dr. Asif Nazrul, and Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Engineer Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Razi.

This historic milestone marks the 50-year diplomatic relationship between the two nations and formalizes a large, long-standing labor flow that had operated largely informally. Saudi Arabia remains Bangladesh’s biggest overseas job market, hosting over 2.2 million expatriate workers, yet there had been no overarching mechanism for general recruitment—only two limited accords: one on domestic worker recruitment (2015) and another on skills verification (2022).

The new pact is expected to boost the deployment of skilled and semi-skilled Bangladeshi workers across sectors such as construction, healthcare, engineering, and hospitality, while enhancing legal protections for both employees and employers.

Ahead of the signing, Adviser Nazrul raised key concerns affecting Bangladeshi workers, including the enforcement of standard employment contracts, timely renewal of Iqama residency permits by employers, and faster issuance of exit visas for workers wishing to return home. Minister Al-Razi directed relevant Saudi authorities to address these issues promptly and urged cooperation with Bangladesh to ensure safe, legal, and ethical migration practices.

The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in skills training, certification, and pre-departure orientation, aiming to better align Bangladeshi labor with Saudi market needs under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic transformation plan.

The signing ceremony was attended by Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Md Delwar Hossain; Deputy Head of Mission SM Nazmul Hasan; Labour Counsellor Muhammad Rezae Rabbi; and senior officials from both governments.

Analysts say the agreement could not only bolster worker protections but also unlock new opportunities in a market that accounts for nearly 30% of Bangladesh’s annual $21 billion in remittance inflows, making it a strategic win for Dhaka’s manpower export economy.