RIYADH: Bangladesh is committed to meeting demand for skilled workers in Saudi Arabia, said Asif Nazrul, adviser to the Bangladeshi Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, as well as the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment.
Speaking at a discussion organized at the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh with owners and senior officials of Saudi companies, Nazrul said that there were significant opportunities for Bangladesh to send skilled and semi-skilled workers, including doctors, engineers, nurses and technicians.
Nazrul, who is in Riyadh at the invitation of the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to attend the Global Labor Market Conference (Wednesday-Thursday), emphasized the need for qualitative changes in Bangladesh’s labor market in Saudi Arabia.
He highlighted the many employment prospects emerging from Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiatives, including mega projects such as NEOM, Red Sea, Qiddiya, Green Riyadh, Amala, Diriyah and Roshan, alongside major global events such as the AFC Asian Cup (2027), Winter Asian Olympics (2029), World Expo (2030) and FIFA World Cup (2034).
He sought the cooperation of Saudi recruitment companies, who acknowledged the presence of skilled professionals in Bangladesh but pointed out challenges such as inadequate information, marketing, networking, visa delays, language barriers and a lack of pre-boarding orientation.
Nazrul assured them of resolving these issues and emphasized strengthening ties through labor fairs, seminars and regular communication with company officials.
He also inaugurated the embassy’s e-demand attestation system, enabling Saudi companies to easily register online and attest worker demand letters without visiting the embassy, a key initiative for promoting transparency and efficiency.
Nazrul also distributed prizes to winners of competitions organized as part of the embassy’s “Festival of Youth 2025” on Wednesday.
Bangladesh’s new ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Delwar Hossain, welcomed the Saudi delegates at the interactive session.
Later, Nazrul interacted with Bangladeshi expatriates, listening to their concerns, including high airfare costs and excessive fees charged by recruiting agencies, and assured them of solutions and encouraged them to maintain close contact with the embassy through social media and its website.
Appreciating their role in sending remittances, he assured the government’s continued welfare initiatives for expatriates and urged compliance with Saudi laws and culture to avoid legal complications.
On the issue of voting in national elections, he said that the government was exploring viable options to facilitate expatriate participation.
