KARACHI: Pakistan is striving to benefit from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 program which is expected to create millions of employment opportunities in the kingdom by helping its workforce build its professional capacity, a top Pakistani official told Arab News on Tuesday.
The program is a strategic transformation initiative to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil by diversifying its economy and turning it into a global industrial hub.
The plan requires the Saudi authorities to invest $320 billion to develop its non-oil sector by undertaking a string of mega projects, such as developing technologically smart cities that help their inhabitants with further innovation in their respective fields.
“I have already directed my ministry to identify the economic sectors at the heart of the Saudi initiative along with the skillsets required to capture the greatest number of emerging employment opportunities,” Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari said while talking to Arab News.
“The ministry has also been directed to coordinate along with Pakistan’s National Vocational and Technical Training Commission with relevant Saudi organizations for accreditation and mutual skill recognition to effectively utilize the future demand,” he added.
Bukhari said his ministry was working with relevant Saudi authorities to develop a standardized labor contract for Pakistani nationals.
Home to over two million Pakistani migrants, Saudi Arabia is already the single largest source of remittances to the South Asian state.
During July-March 2021 period, the Pakistani diaspora in the kingdom sent $5.7 billion to their homeland. Such inflows of remittances continue to support Pakistan’s balance of payment position and keep its foreign reserves stable.
In an interview with Pakistan’s state-owned news channel on Sunday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud applauded the role of Pakistani expatriates in the development and progress of his country.
“We have a very ambitious plan, Vision 2030,” he said. “Under that plan, we expect to grow significantly the employment base in the kingdom. That means of course that there will be significant opportunities for additional employment for Pakistani nationals.”
The Saudi foreign minister also invited Pakistani business community to benefit from the emerging investment opportunities in the kingdom.
“We also hope that Pakistani businesses will continue to increase their investment in the kingdom because there are some very successful entrepreneurs who I think will find excellent and exciting opportunities,” he added.
The Saudi prince also mentioned new labor reforms, hoping that they would help foreign workers find flexible job opportunities.
“We have recently undergone significant labor reforms which have improved to a great extent the flexibility of third country labor within the Saudi labor market. They are now free to transfer their work from one employer to other,” he said.
Pakistani experts say their country needs to train its human resource to suit the market requirements of other countries.
“Apart from the construction sector, foreign countries are now demanding knowledge-based labor,” Haroon Sharif, member of the prime minister’s task force on economic diplomacy, told Arab News.
“It is imperative for us to provide new and specialized training to our workforce in view of the changing demand in international markets and our universities can play a pivotal role in that,” he continued. “We can also achieve the desired objective by involving the countries for which we are training our labor force.”
Pakistan to train workers for emerging job opportunities in Saudi Arabia
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Pakistan to train workers for emerging job opportunities in Saudi Arabia
- PM Khan’s advisor on overseas Pakistanis says his ministry is working with relevant Saudi authorities to prepare a standardized labor contract for Pakistani nationals
- Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia sent $5.7 billion to their country between July and March, making the kingdom the single largest source of remittances to the South Asian state
Pakistan warns of landslides, avalanches in northwest amid snowfall forecast
- Provincial authority warns snowfall may cause road closures, slippery conditions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa districts in next 24 hours
- Disaster management authority urges people to exercise caution, avoid unnecessary traveling during next 24 hours in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
PESHAWAR: Pakistan has warned of landslides and avalanches in the hilly areas of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in the next 24 hours, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) said on Monday, advising the public to remain cautious and avoid unnecessary travel.
In a weather forecast issued by the PDMA KP, the authority warned that snowfall may cause road closure and slippery conditions in the northwestern Naran, Kaghan, Dir, Swat, Buner, Malakand, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla and Galliyat districts in the next 24 hours.
“Possibility of landslides/avalanches in hilly areas of the province during the [24 hours] period,” PDMA said.
“Travelers and tourists are advised to remain extra cautious and avoid unnecessary travel during the period.”
It also warned of foggy conditions in patches at scattered places over Peshawar, Mardan, Nowshera, Charsadda Swabi and D.I. Khan districts during late nights and early mornings in northwestern Pakistan.
Pakistan, which contributes less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is recognized among countries that are most vulnerable to climate change.
Scientists say rising temperatures are making South Asia’s monsoon rains more erratic and intense, increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides in mountainous regions such as KP and northern Gilgit-Baltistan.
Authorities in the past have urged people to avoid northern areas or exercise caution in travel when weather conditions are expected to deteriorate in winter season.
At least 21 people, including nine children, died in freezing temperatures after being stuck in their vehicles in the Pakistani hill station of Murree in January 2022 when the roads became impassable.
