Saudi to take maids, housekeepers & drivers
Saudi Arabia will primarily import maids, drivers and housekeepers from Bangladesh at “a minimum cost” with the employers bearing the full migration expenses.
Governments of both countries agreed in this regard, a week after the KSA withdrew the seven-year-embargo on import of labour from Bangladesh.
- Processing through state-managed, private agencies
- Tk 15,000-20,000 per worker, but no ceiling on recruitment agency’s fees
- Employment at a minimum salary of 1,200-1,500 Saudi Riyal
- Employers to bear migration cost: plane fare, levy cost etc.
- Saudi team discusses technical aspects
A 19-member KSA team, led by Ahmed F Alfahaid, deputy minister for KSA's labour ministry’s international affairs, discussed manpower trade with Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain for an hour this morning.
Shortly afterwards, Mosharraf briefed the media.
According to him, both governments agreed to take in Bangladesh labours “at a minimum” cost of Tk 15,000-Tk 20,000, through both state-managed and private means.
The recruitment will take place through both Saudi and Bangladeshi agencies. “But, the government will not set any margin on the fees they would charge,” Mosharraf said.
As per the discussion, some 10,000 workers will be able to go to Saudi every month, the minister added.
Later, Alfahaid told reporters that the Saudi employers will bear the full migration cost of a worker.
However, the amount of labour Saudi will take from Bangladesh could not be ascertained. Neither ministers specified the amount.
“About 1.3 million Bangladeshis are already working in the Saudi Arabia. There’s scope for more,” Alfahaid said in response to the query.
According to Mosharraf, Bangladesh has demanded employment with minimum salary of 1,200-1,500 Saudi Riyal. “We demanded that the employers pay the migration cost.”
Responding to a query on the nature of manpower export in the primary phase, the minister said Saudi government was interested in taking maids, housekeepers and drivers.
After a one-hour meeting with Mosharraf at 9:00am, Alfahaid discussed the technical aspects of manpower trade with a 10-man Bangladeshi delegation.
The Saudi team will visit Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) in the afternoon.
Led by Overseas Employment Ministry Secretary Khandker Md Iftekhar Haider, the Bangladesh team comprised of delegates of the home, law, foreign ministries and the Prime Minister’s Office. Two counselors of the Bangladeshi labour wing in Saudi were also there.
The Saudi government imposed a ban on importing manpower from Bangladesh in 2008 alleging anomalies in the recruitment process.
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