ISLAMABAD: Jawad Sohrab Malik, special assistant to Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on overseas Pakistanis, is on his first official visit to Saudi Arabia that is aimed at fostering collaboration and exploring employment opportunities for the Pakistani workforce in the Kingdom, according to the Pakistani Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD).

Saudi Arabia has initiated several groundbreaking projects that are expected to significantly impact the Pakistani labor market. Among the key projects that will be part of discussions are the Red Sea Project, Development Plan of Extension of the Holy City of Makkah, Jabal Omar, Recreational Tourism Projects, New Taif City, the NEOM Project, Qiddiva Project — The Capital of Entertainment Sports, Diriyah Gates, AlUla — UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hammaya Program, King Salman Park and Green Riyadh.

These projects offer extensive opportunities for employment, especially in fields such as artificial intelligence, Internet of things, media policy, strategy and research, health and safety specialists, project coordination and managerial strategy, financial modeling, eco-system-based management specialists, senior water scientists, climate action directors, managers of geo-thermal energy, solar generation specialists and others.

The visit will focus on major mega development projects that are set to open vast employment avenues for unskilled professionals in general and for skilled professionals in particular from Pakistan, according to the ministry of overseas Pakistanis.

“During the visit, the discussions will also revolve around the evolving labor market trends in Saudi Arabia. The SAPM, during his meetings with Saudia Arabia’s Minister for Labor, Vice Minister of Labor and top Saudi Companies, will highlight the need and advocate for more opportunities for Pakistani skilled and unskilled labor workforce in a broader range of sectors, including construction, hospitality, services, nursing and care,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The SAPM will also convince Saudi counterpart for hiring Pakistani workers over those from other countries by presenting the competitive advantages of Pakistani skilled and unskilled workforce. Recognizing the current predominance of Pakistani workers in lower skill categories in Saudi Arabia, the SAPM will emphasize the importance of expanding opportunities for professionals and highly skilled individuals as well.”

It said the visit would be particularly focused on the NEOM Project, a major development endeavor in Saudi Arabia.

“The SAPM has planned to propose the dedication of a special quota for Pakistani skilled and semi-skilled workers for NEOM and other upcoming projects,” the statement read. “Additionally, the discussions will include a proposal for Saudi Arabia to establish a state-of-the-art Skill University in Pakistan, further aligning the two nations in their pursuit of economic transformation. Collaboration in the training of Pakistani workers to meet the rising needs of the Saudi labor market and enhance their skills and capabilities will also be a key point of discussion.”

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have deep cultural, defense and economic ties, deeply rooted in history and religion. The Kingdom is home to over two million Pakistanis, making it the largest contributor to remittance inflows into the South Asian country.

The visit aims to align Pakistan’s workforce with Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation program under Vision 2030, a strategic development framework intended to cut the Kingdom’s reliance on oil, and foster a strong partnership for mutual benefit, according to the ministry of overseas Pakistanis.

It also aims to enhance crucial remittances, contributing to the stability of Pakistan’s economy and supporting the economic well-being of families that rely solely on these financial inflows.