Saudi Shoura Council approves recruitment of male domestic workers from Bangladesh

Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council has reportedly approved the recruitment of male domestic workers from Bangladesh.

Arab News reports that Mohamed Nagadi, the chairman of the Council’s Committee on Administration and Human Resources, has made a recommendation for the measure.

Bangladesh’s ambassador to the country, Golam Moshi, told the publication the move would be beneficial for both countries and impove bilateral relations after a long-standing ban on Bangladeshi workers in several professions.

The kingdom began recruiting domestic workers from the country in February last year and hosts 62,000 housemaids in its 1.3 million-strong Bangladeshi workforce, he said.

An estimated 6,000 female domestic workers arrive in the country from Saudi Arabia each month.

“Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia were working very closely to increase recruitment of male domestic workers according to the decision during the last joint technical committee meeting. Both the nations are implementing their commitment to enhance the relations, particularly in manpower sector,” Moshi was quoted as saying.

He said the country would encourage companies to come to Dhaka to provide training to male domestic workers, similarly to the current arrangement for females.

Reports last month suggested that Saudi Arabia had also lifted a recruitment ban on Bangladeshi workers in other sectors following a ban that has been in force since 2008.

Read: Saudi lifts hiring ban on Bangladeshi workers – report