KARACHI: Pakistan secured the second position among the countries that won the highest domestic worker recruitment contracts in Saudi Arabia during the month of December 2021 as the kingdom recorded an increase in the total recruitment contracts, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development data shows.
The Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development’s Musaned platform, specialized in the recruitment of domestic workers, recorded an increase of more than 15 percent in the total recruitment contracts of domestic workers during the fourth quarter of the year 2021.
The platform indicated that Bangladesh topped the list of countries with 12,000 contracts during the month of December, according to the statistics released by Musaned this week. Pakistan stood second with more than 11,000 contracts, while India was able to make around 11,000 contracts.
The increase in domestic worker contracts comes as the Saudi labor market continues to expand, mainly due to the launch of several mega projects under the Saudi Vision 2030, according to a Pakistani overseas employment promotor.
“We are receiving a lot of enquiries from Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates with the restoration of routine life after the COVID-19,” Sarfraz Zahoor Cheema, former chairman of the Pakistan Overseas Employment Promotors Association, told Arab News on Sunday.
“We will see more export of manpower from Pakistan during the current and next years to various sectors of the kingdom.”
Cheema, however, said that Pakistani workers were not trained for domestic employment as compared to Bangladesh and particularly Philippines, which had developed it as an industry.
Saudi Arabia is utilizing Musaned to add several new countries to its list for the recruitment of domestic workers in 2022, according to Alson World, a communication strategies development firm that operates in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. The kingdom is keen to have workers from countries that fit into Saudi families, based on epidemics, crime rate, language, education, expected recruitment cost, salaries and other criteria.
Recruitment contracts of domestic workers increased to 65,000 in October 2021 and more than 69,000 in November 2021. In December, the ceiling rose to 76,000 contracts, recording a steady increase by the end of 2021.
Based on the November figures, Philippines and Bangladesh secured 13,000 recruitment contracts, followed by Egypt with more than 9,000 contracts.
Philippines recorded the same figure in October, while the number from Bangladesh stood at more than 11,000 contracts. Uganda was ranked third with around 10,000 contracts.
Musaned aims to govern, automate and facilitate procedures for the recruitment of domestic workers and increase the level of protection of the rights of all parties by managing the contracting process between individuals and recruitment offices.
It also aims to the manage the relationship between Saudi recruitment offices and domestic worker recruitment firms in countries exporting manpower.
Pakistan secures second highest domestic worker contracts in Saudi Arabia in Dec. 2021
https://arab.news/9tr57
Pakistan secures second highest domestic worker contracts in Saudi Arabia in Dec. 2021
- Bangladesh topped the list of countries with 12,000 contracts in December 2021
- Pakistani overseas employment promotor hopes for more export of manpower this year
Pakistan court-appointed lawyer flags concerns over Imran Khan’s eye condition in jail report
- Amicus curiae recommends independent ophthalmology review “without delay”
- PTI party says court-ordered exam vindicates concerns over medical access
ISLAMABAD: A court-appointed lawyer has recommended that jailed ex-premier Imran Khan undergo an independent and urgent ophthalmological examination, warning of the “gravity” of his deteriorating eye condition in a written report submitted to the Supreme Court and seen by Arab News on Thursday.
Barrister Salman Safdar, appointed as amicus curiae earlier this week, visited Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail and later filed a detailed report on his living conditions and health. The report states that in view of the seriousness of Khan’s ocular condition, “it is imperative that the seriousness of the condition be independently ascertained without delay.”
“The undersigned recommends that the Petitioner be examined at the earliest by a team of expert ophthalmologists,” the report said.
Concerns about Khan’s health have resurfaced in recent weeks after authorities confirmed he had been briefly taken from prison to a hospital in Islamabad for an eye procedure. The government said at the time his condition was stable, while Khan’s family and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf political party complained they had not been informed in advance and alleged he was being denied timely and independent medical access.
The issue was then taken up by the Supreme Court earlier this week, which appointed Safdar as a “friend of the court” to visit Khan in prison and submit a written report.
According to a medical condition report from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), dated Feb. 6, 2026 and referenced in Safdar’s court filing, Khan was diagnosed with “right central retinal vein occlusion” after reporting reduced vision in his right eye.
The report states that he underwent anti-VEGF intravitreal injection treatment at PIMS and was discharged with follow-up advice.
However, in his interaction with Safdar, Khan said he had experienced “rapid and substantial loss of vision over the preceding three months” and claimed his complaints had not been addressed promptly while in custody. He further stated that despite treatment, he had been left with “only 15 percent vision in his right eye.”
Safdar’s report notes that the former premier appeared “visibly perturbed and deeply distressed by the loss of vision and the absence of timely and specialized medical intervention.”
The amicus also recommended that the Supreme Court consider directing involvement of Khan’s personal physicians or other specialists of his choice, warning that “any further delay poses a serious risk to the Petitioner’s well-being.”
LIVING CONDITIONS
Beyond medical concerns, the report addressed Khan’s confinement conditions, noting that he expressed “satisfaction regarding his safety and security within the cell-block,” as well as contentment with basic amenities and food provisions.
However, Safdar flagged several areas requiring intervention, including: Independent medical reassessment of his eye condition; restoration of regular access to legal counsel; permission to meet blood relatives and communicate with his sons; and improved mosquito control and provision of a refrigerator for food storage.
The report also recorded that Khan has been in solitary confinement for approximately two years and four months.
PTI REACTION
Following the submission of the report, Khan’s PTI party said on Thursday that the Supreme Court had ordered a full eye examination to be completed before Feb. 16.
“The Supreme Court’s order for a complete eye check-up of Imran Khan vindicates the party’s longstanding concerns about his deteriorating health and denial of timely, independent medical care in custody,” the party said in a statement.
“This is bigger than one medical test. It is about whether the rule of law applies to political opponents, or only to protect those in power,” it added, demanding “immediate and transparent implementation of the Court’s order” and “unrestricted access to qualified specialists of his choice.”
Khan, 73, has been in custody since August 2023 in connection with multiple cases that he and his party describe as politically motivated. The government denies the allegation.
There was no immediate response from the government on Thursday to the findings and recommendations contained in Safdar’s report.
