Oman Plans to Hire 10,000 Bangladeshi Farm Workers

Bangla Press Desk:  Oman will recruit 10,000 Bangladeshi workers in the Arab country’s farming and fisheries sectors, said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam at a briefing on Wednesday following a courtesy meeting with an Omani delegation.

The Omani delegation was led by Al Sayyid Mohammed Salim Ali Al Said, a member of the Royal Family of the Sultanate of Oman.The courtesy meeting was held at the state minister’s office in the Secretariat on Wednesday.

An agreement has been signed for sending 5,000 Bangladeshi farmers, and 5,000 Bangladeshi fishermen to Oman, Shama Obaed told reporters at the post-meeting briefing.

An Omani delegation would visit Dhaka next month to finalise the relevant process in cooperation with the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment, Shama Obaed added.

During the courtesy call, both sides also stressed the importance of recruiting Bangladeshi workers in increasing numbers in Oman’s skill-based sectors. Both sides have already launched initiatives for recruiting Bangladesh workers in a diverse range of sectors in the Middle East country, Shama Obaed noted.

The BNP government is working to resume Omani Visa services for aspiring Bangladeshi migrant workers, the state minister said, adding the services were suspended during the Awami League regime for “multiple reasons.”

A foreign ministry press release said the State Minister also discussed ways to further strengthen Bangladesh–Oman economic relations.

Al Sayyid appreciated the valuable contribution of Bangladeshi workers to Oman’s development and economic activities and noted that there is considerable scope for further expanding mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries.

Fathia Ahmed Al Balushi, chargé d’Affaires of the Omani Embassy in Bangladesh, and other members of the delegation were present during the call.