Shehab Sumon
DHAKA: New opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s mega-projects, tourism, and healthcare sectors will be available for skilled Bangladeshis under a recently signed labor deal, the Kingdom’s ambassador said, expecting up to 300,000 openings in the coming months.
About 3.6 million Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia, sending home over $5 billion every year.
They have been joining the Saudi labor market since the 1970s and are the largest expat group in the Kingdom and the largest Bangladeshi community outside Bangladesh.
Earlier regulated by memoranda on specific labor deployment, since October, this work migration has been governed by a general recruitment agreement.
“The new employment agreement signed in October 2025 between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh marks an important step in formalizing labor migration, expanding skilled job opportunities, and strengthening protections for Bangladeshi workers in the Kingdom,” Dr. Abdullah Zafer bin Abiyah, Riyadh’s new envoy to Dhaka, told Arab News earlier this week.
“It enhances worker protection through standardized electronic contracts for transparency, timely wage payments via the Wage Protection System, a joint mechanism for resolving labor disputes, improved welfare services — including legal support and health insurance — (and) pre-departure orientation to improve awareness.”
Currently, many Bangladeshis are employed in the construction sector, which is likely to have even more offers over the next few years, as the Kingdom prepares to host the AFC Asian Cup in 2027, the World Expo in 2030, and the World Cup in 2034.
Under the new labor agreement, other industries will be potential employers too.
Candidates are tested by the Saudi agency Takamol, which certifies workers according to standards and requirements of the Skill Verification Program — an initiative launched in 2021 as part of Vision 2030 to advance the professional competence of employees in the Kingdom’s labor market.
“The agreement opens more opportunities in construction and major Vision 2030 projects (Neom, Red Sea), hospitality and tourism, healthcare — nurses and technicians — technical, maintenance, and renewable energy fields,” Abiyah said.
“An estimated 250,000–300,000 new jobs may be created for Bangladeshi workers by 2026.”
The ambassador also sought increased presence of Bangladeshi students at Saudi universities and cooperation between the countries in higher education based on a memorandum of understanding signed last year.
Activating the MoU will offer more seats for Bangladeshi students in priority subjects, making scholarships easier to access through matching academic training with Saudi job market needs, and boosting cooperation between universities, he said.
“More scholarships can target fields such as AI, cybersecurity, engineering, renewable energy, hospitality, and healthcare — areas where Saudi Arabia needs skilled talent. This makes Bangladeshi graduates more competitive and valuable to the Saudi economy.”
