Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Deal on Manpower Recruitment

Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia today signed a landmark agreement in Riyadh on the recruitment of general workers — the first such deal between the two nations in their 50 years of diplomatic relations.

The agreement was signed by Bangladesh’s Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Dr. Asif Nazrul and Saudi Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Engineer Ahmed bin Sulaiman Al-Rajhi, according to an official message received in Dhaka.

Saudi Arabia has remained Bangladesh’s largest overseas labour market since 1976, employing millions of Bangladeshi workers. However, until now, there had been no formal agreement governing the recruitment of general workers.

Earlier, two separate agreements were signed — one in 2015 on the recruitment of domestic workers and another in 2022 on skills verification.

The new agreement is expected to open broader opportunities for Bangladeshi skilled and semi-skilled workers across various professions in Saudi Arabia. It will also strengthen mechanisms for protecting the rights and welfare of both workers and employers, further deepening the brotherly ties between the two countries.

Prior to the signing ceremony, a bilateral meeting was held between Adviser Dr. Nazrul and Minister Al-Rajhi.

During the meeting, Dr. Nazrul emphasized the importance of ensuring transparency and fairness in the recruitment process. He also urged Saudi employers to take responsibility for renewing residence permits (Iqamas) and to facilitate the swift issuance of exit visas for workers wishing to return home.

In response, Minister Al-Rajhi instructed the relevant authorities to take prompt and effective measures to address these issues and urged Bangladesh to continue efforts to ensure safe and orderly migration.

The two sides also discussed expanding cooperation in recruitment, training, and welfare initiatives for expatriate workers, as well as measures to ensure their safety and protection in the host country.

Bangladesh Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Md. Delwar Hossain, Deputy Chief of Mission S.M. Nazmul Hasan, Labour Counsellor Muhammad Rezae Rabbi, and senior officials from both countries attended the event.