2,000 Bangladeshi land jobs in Saudi fair

More than 2,000 Bangladeshi workers landed jobs with Saudi employers at a two-day long job fair in Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Wednesday.

News Deskbdnews24.com
Published : 20 June 2013, 09:53 AM
Updated : 20 June 2013, 09:53 AM

The selected Bangladeshis will be employed as office assistants, plumbers, drivers, electricians and cleaners, according to a report by Arab News.

Almost 50 companies based in Riyadh had their representatives select their prospective employees said Emdadul Haque, labour counsellor for the Bangladesh Embassy.

He described the event as “highly successful.”

“We played a mediation role between the employer and the employees and provided the platform for job negotiations,” he said.

The companies that participated on the first day include contracting and construction firms, private establishments, fast food outlets, maintenance companies and restaurants.

“The two parties discussed the salaries for the respective jobs, the mode of iqama (residency permit) transfer and regularization of residency status,” said Haque.

He said that the embassy expects more companies to participate in the job fair today since it is weekend.

A total of 166,480 Bangladeshis have obtained their documents at the Bangladesh missions in Riyadh and Jeddah, under the ongoing amnesty. The amnesty which ends on July 3 allows irregular workers from foreign countries to have their status legalised and return home without facing any penalty.

However, Saudi businesses have called for an extension of the July 3 amnesty deadline during a meeting with the Ministry of Labour officials.

The processed documents included issue of new or renewal passports, outpasses and 20,000 travel permits.

A large number of officers from Dhaka are there to assist the mission in completing the task in time.

The Bangladesh Embassy has organized consular services in Jubail, Al-Ahsa, Dammam, Al-Jouf, Skaka and Al-Qassim in addition to the services offered in Riyadh.

The Jeddah consulate has processed 83,000 applicants and is also offering consular services in cities - Khamis Mushayt, Jazan, Najran, Tabuk and Yanbu.

These services are also being offered in Tabuk, Al-Baha and Madinah.

Illegal resident of living in Saudi Arabia will be subjected to a penalty of Saudi Rial 100,000 (Tk 2.67 million) and a two-year jail term after the amnesty period ends, according to a warning issued by the kingdom.