ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Jawad Sohrab Malik, on Wednesday signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the Saudi-based global conglomerate, Al Bawani Holdings, to unlock jobs for Pakistani expats.
Malik is on a visit to Saudi Arabia to enhance cooperation on jobs and human resources. On Wednesday, the SAPM visited the headquarters of Al Bawani holdings in Riyadh where he met the company’s CEO and chairman, Engr. Fakher Al-Shawaf.
Al Bawani Holdings, a diversified Saudi conglomerate, is among the top five general contracting entities in the Saudi construction sector.
The Kingdom is home to the largest number of Pakistani expats, over two million, and is the biggest contributor to remittance inflows to the South Asian nation.
“Expressing confidence in the capabilities of Pakistani workers, Malik conveyed to the company Chairman that Pakistani workforce is well-trained and possess the necessary skills and knowledge, making them exceptionally suitable for construction work in KSA,” the Ministry for Overseas Pakistanis said in a statement after the meeting.
“This acknowledgment of Pakistani workforce competence led to a significant development — the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) between the Overseas Employment Corporation (OEC) and Al Bawani.”
This LOI establishes a legal framework to “foster cooperation and coordination for mutual benefits, promising to unlock numerous job opportunities for Pakistani professionals and workers in the near future,” the ministry added.
Al Bawani Holdings also said it would establish a state of the art human resource training center in Pakistan, “to further train and equip Pakistani workforce with skills required as per international standards.”
On Tuesday, Malik met with the Saudi Minister for Human Resources and Social Development, Dr. Abdullah Nasser Abu Thnain, and Deputy Minister for Human Resources and Social Development, HE Adnan Abdullah Al-Nuaim, in Riyadh. During the meeting he invited Takamol, a Saudi initiative to develop human capital, to open more testing and training centers in Pakistan, and offered full cooperation to Takamol to work as an independent training and certification company in Pakistan.
“Further, [Saudi] TVTC (Technical and Vocational Training Corporation) can also collaborate for training initiatives in Pakistan,” the SAPM was quoted as saying in a statement on Tuesday.
“[Pakistan’s] NAVTEC (National Vocational and Technical Training Commission) and TVTC shall sign MOU very soon.”
The meeting came days after the Pakistan Overseas Employment Corporation (POEC) and NESMA & Partners, a leading contracting company in Saudi Arabia, signed an agreement to export manpower to the Kingdom.
The “landmark” agreement between the POEC and NESMA & Partners will allow the export of skilled Pakistani labor to Saudi Arabia, specifically for ongoing and upcoming projects of NESMA, which specializes in construction.
Pakistan signs letter of intent with Saudi Arabia’s Al Bawani to unlock jobs for its nationals
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Pakistan signs letter of intent with Saudi Arabia’s Al Bawani to unlock jobs for its nationals
- Al Bawani Holdings, a diversified Saudi conglomerate, is among top five general contracting entities in Saudi construction sector
- Al Bawani Holdings chairman says company will establish a state of the art human resource training center in Pakistan
Pakistan arrests suspect arriving from Cambodia amid crackdown on human smuggling
- Suspect worked at an “online fraud company” in Cambodia, later started smuggling people from Pakistan, says FIA
- Pakistan has intensified crackdown against human smugglers after hundreds of migrants drowned near Pylos in 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Sunday said it had arrested a key suspect involved in smuggling humans who had arrived from Cambodia, alleging he was also part of an international fraud network.
The suspect, identified as Zainullah, was arrested by FIA officials when he arrived in the southern port city of Karachi from Cambodia.
Zainullah had traveled from Pakistan to Cambodia in September 2024, a press release issued by the agency said.
“He worked at an online fraud company in Cambodia and later became involved as an agent in recruiting individuals from Pakistan,” the FIA said.
The FIA said it recovered images of multiple individuals’ passports, payment receipts and bank transaction records after extracting data from Zainullah’s phone.
It said the suspect received money through personal bank accounts and a cryptocurrency account.
“The suspect has been handed over to the FIA Anti-Human Trafficking Circle, Karachi, for further legal proceedings,” the FIA said.
“Further investigation is underway.”
Pakistan intensified action against illegal migration in 2023 after hundreds of migrants, including 262 Pakistanis, drowned when an overcrowded vessel sank off the Greek town of Pylos, one of the deadliest boat disasters in the Mediterranean.
Authorities say they continue to target networks sending citizens abroad through dangerous routes, following heightened scrutiny at airports and a series of arrests involving forged documents.
Pakistan’s interior ministry said this week illegal migration to Europe has declined by 47 percent this year after its nationwide crackdown, saying that more than 1,700 human smugglers have been arrested in 2025.
