Saudi Arabia Hires Medics From Bangladesh

Saudi Arabia is recruiting medical professionals, including physicians and nurses, from Bangladesh. This decision comes after the recent approval of their recruitment and qualifications by the Kingdom, as reported by Arab News. According to data from the Bangladesh Medical Association, there are only a few dozen clinicians among the nearly 3 million Bangladeshi expatriate workers in Saudi Arabia.

The two countries signed a medics recruitment agreement in 2022, and the first batch of Bangladeshi health workers left for Saudi Arabia in November 2023. Riyadh's Ambassador to Dhaka, Essa Al-Duhailan, mentioned that this recruitment is a new development, stating that for a long time, Saudi Arabia did not hire medical staff from Bangladesh. The initial group comprised about 60 clinicians, with plans for the number to increase in the near future.

Ambassador Al-Duhailan also mentioned that a team from the Saudi Ministry of Health visited Bangladesh twice in the previous year, and more visits are planned for recruiting additional medical staff. The next group expected to depart for Saudi Arabia will be composed of nurses.

Khairul Alam, additional secretary at the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment, revealed that the Kingdom authorities requested over 150 trained nurses. The government is currently scrutinizing the demands and preparing mechanisms to streamline the recruitment of medics. A detailed recruitment policy will be developed to facilitate the appointment of Bangladeshi health sector workers in Saudi Arabia.

Bangladesh, with over 100 medical colleges producing a significant number of certified doctors, nurses, and medics, sees this opportunity as a positive move. Sending skilled professionals to work with top-quality equipment in Saudi Arabia provides learning opportunities and can create a win-win situation for both countries. Shariful Hasan, associate director of BRAC's migration program, emphasized that sending more skilled workforces can increase remittance and enhance Bangladesh's image as a source country of skilled labor. Currently, only 2 percent of Bangladeshi workers in Saudi Arabia are skilled professionals, and increasing this number is seen as beneficial for both countries.