RIYADH, 7 July 2005 — On the initiative of the Kingdom, Bangladesh will soon open a training center in Dhaka for housemaids seeking employment in Saudi Arabia. The Chairman of the Saudi Arabian National Recruitment Committee (SANARCOM) Waleed Al-Swaidan will inaugurate the new facility on Saturday.
“We plan to recruit more than 100,000 housemaids from Bangladesh during the next 12 months,” Swaidan said, adding that the new center would produce quality maidservants who could easily fit into Saudi homes.
“The center, set up by Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA), will conduct orientation programs for the workers to help them fit into the social, cultural and work environment of the Kingdom,” he added.
Swaidan, who was to leave for Dhaka yesterday, said SANARCOM signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with BAIRA, last year agreeing to recruit maids for a monthly salary of SR 400 on a contract period of three years.
“The new orientation program for the housemaids before their departure to the Kingdom will not only facilitate the smooth flow of housemaids from Dhaka to the Kingdom but would also greatly reduce complaints from Saudi sponsors.”
Bangladesh’s state Minister For Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Mohammed Qamarul Islam, during his April visit, had sought SANARCOM’s assistance to establish training centers in Bangladesh to train housemaids planning to work in the Kingdom.
