JEDDAH, 11 February 2007 — Egyptian Minister of Manpower and Migration Aisha Abdul Hadi announced yesterday that her ministry has signed a deal with Saudi Arabia’s General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training to facilitate recruitment of women trainers by businesses in the Kingdom.
She told Arab News that Egypt has placed many restrictions on Egyptian women working abroad for their own safety. She said that Egyptian women are prohibited from working as maids abroad. However, they are allowed to work as doctors, nurses and teachers.
Abdul Hadi arrived in the Kingdom to exchange ideas with Saudi officials and to enhance cooperation between the two countries particularly in relation to vocational training.
Abdul Hadi urged businessmen to inform the Egyptian Embassy in Riyadh or the consulate in Jeddah if they have Egyptian workers who flee their jobs. She said the Egyptian government would help them track workers who shirk their contractual obligations.
These workers, she said, are placed on blacklists that jeopardize their future chances of successfully applying for work visas abroad.
Abdul Hadi also said she brought up the issue of employers in Saudi Arabia sometimes manipulating and altering workers’ employment status or visas. Cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the Egyptian government is vital to working through differences and addressing issues, she added.
