Qatar’s Labour Minister Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri has expressed a keen interest in recruiting skilled manpower from five specific technical training centres in Bangladesh to serve four key sectors.
During the 7th Bangladesh-Qatar Joint Committee meeting held on Monday, the Qatari minister identified electricians, plumbers, AC technicians, and welders as the priority professions for this recruitment initiative.
At the commencement of the meeting, Expatriate Welfare Minister Ariful Haque Choudhury extended his sincere gratitude to the Qatari minister for accepting the invitation to visit Bangladesh.
Minister Ariful praised the significant progress in the “fraternal relationship” between the two nations over recent decades.
On behalf of the government and the people of Bangladesh, he expressed profound gratitude for the humanitarian gesture shown by the Emir of Qatar, who sent an air ambulance for the emergency medical treatment of the former prime minister Khaleda Zia.
Highlighting the importance of the Qatari labour market, Minister Ariful noted that over 400,000 Bangladeshi workers are currently contributing to Qatar’s development with skill, honesty, and dedication.
While 107,598 workers migrated to Qatar in 2023, the minister expressed his hope that the Qatari authorities would accept double that number this year.
The minister also addressed the logistical challenges facing outbound workers, noting that the single Qatari visa and medical centre in Dhaka is insufficient.
He formally requested the establishment of visa and medical centres in all eight divisional cities of Bangladesh to expedite processing. He further highlighted that the ministry’s 110 Technical Training Centres provide high-quality training across 55 trades related to overseas employment.
In response, Al Marri lauded the efficiency of Bangladeshi workers, stating that approximately 473,000 Bangladeshis are currently employed in Qatar, with 30 per cent specifically engaged in the development sector.
Regarding the expansion of visa centres, the Qatari minister assured that he would personally request Qatar’s Minister of Interior to implement the proposal. He also mentioned that Qatar has already established two special training centres to upskill unskilled workers.
During the discussions, Expatriate Welfare State Minister Md Nurul Hoque, called upon Qatar to recruit a substantial number of skilled professionals, including doctors, engineers, nurses, caregivers, Imams, Muezzins, Khatibs, and religious teachers.
The bilateral meeting was also attended by the Qatari Ambassador to Bangladesh Seraya Ali Al-Qahtani, Expatriate Welfare Secretary Md Mokhtar Ahmed, Special Assistant to prime minister Shakirul Islam, and senior officials from the relevant ministries of both countries.
