JEDDAH — The Ministry of Labor will start issuing visas for Bangladeshi domestic workers from Monday, April 20 (Rajab 1), according to ministry sources. The ministry's decision came after the completion of all procedures and terms and conditions for the recruitment on the basis of the labor pact signed by the two countries earlier, said Ahmed Al-Fohaid, deputy minister for international affairs. He said the concerned parties in the private sector in both the countries have reached agreement on the cost of recruitment, and it will be publicized on the ministry's Musanid electronic portal at the time of starting visa issuance. Some 500,000 Bangladeshi domestic workers are ready to come to the Kingdom. They can register in 3,500 centers. There are 1,000 recruitment offices in Bangladesh, 100 of which are devoted to the recruitment of women. Al-Fuhaid noted that a Saudi delegation carried out field visits to the centers where Bangladeshis were being provided with training to enable them to take up domestic jobs in the Kingdom. “The delegation was satisfied with the standard of training, and the punctuality and seriousness in work shown by the trainees. The bilateral agreement signed with Bangladesh two months ago guarantees return of domestic workers from that country to the Kingdom in a systematic way in line with the mutually agreed terms and conditions aimed at protecting rights of all parties concerned,” he said, adding that it was assured that those aspiring for recruitment should have no criminal records or pending legal rights, and should have no health problems. Aspiring Bangladeshis underwent intensive training at the centers run by the Bangladesh Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).
