RIYADH: The number of Sudanese workers in Saudi Arabia has exceeded 500,000, employed across key sectors, notably agriculture and animal husbandry, Sudan’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Welfare Mutassim Ahmed Saleh told Al-Eqtisadiah.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Global Labor Market Forum, Saleh said agreements are in place to train and qualify Sudanese workers before their arrival in Saudi Arabia, leveraging Saudi trainers and expertise to implement comprehensive programs within Sudan.
He noted that the Saudi labor market remains the largest and most important destination for Sudanese workers, highlighting ongoing coordination with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development to enhance administrative skills and ensure deployed personnel are equipped to meet modern market requirements.
The minister added that the agreements also cover vocational training, noting that Sudan has lost a significant number of qualified personnel due to the ongoing war, alongside damage to and the closure of many specialized vocational training centers
He said this has made it necessary to develop the sector and rehabilitate affected centers in cooperation with Saudi expertise. Current plans include maintenance and upgrades to existing facilities to ensure sufficient numbers of qualified young men and women are ready to fill available positions in Sudan’s labor market, with a strong focus on updating curricula to better align vocational education outcomes with actual market needs.
Saleh praised the progress of the Saudi labor market between 2015 and 2025, describing it as a major transformation that created more than six million new jobs, with Saudi women securing the largest share, significantly boosting their economic participation.
He added that Saudi Arabia’s experience has become a unique model that many countries attending the forum aim to learn from, particularly in the areas of employment and job creation.
