Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka have signed a new agreement on the employment of workers, which is expected to open up more opportunities in the Kingdom for professionals from the crisis-hit island nation. The Skill Verification Program aims to enhance the professional competence of employees in the Saudi labor market and ease the recruitment process of skilled workers from Sri Lanka. The agreement, which covers 23 professions, including electricians and auto mechanics, was signed by Sri Lanka’s Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission and Saudi Arabia’s Takamol, which operates under the Kingdom’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.
During the signing ceremony in Colombo, TVEC Director Dr. Lalithadheera K. Arachchige said, “This is good news to all Sri Lankans. Their skills can be officially identified by the concerned Saudi authorities to provide them with suitable jobs.” The deal is expected to give a boost to Sri Lanka’s manpower exports to the Kingdom. Saudi Ambassador Khalid Hamoud Nasser Al-Dasam stated that “Under Vision 2030 of the Kingdom, Saudi Arabia needs a variety of skilled workers who would fit into various projects. This is going to be a major development in the annals of Saudi-Lanka bilateral relations.”
Sri Lanka is facing its worst financial crisis since gaining independence in 1948 and has been seeking foreign employment opportunities for its professionals. The country is in desperate need of foreign currency, and the deal is expected to provide a much-needed boost. Many professionals from the South Asian country are currently working in Saudi Arabia without recognition of their professional certification, often enrolled in jobs below their skills. However, under the skill verification deal, Saudi employers will recognize certificates issued by Sri Lanka’s TVEC. Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Pakeer Mohideen Amza, said that “It will give them due recognition and due salary and due position. It’s a long-felt need, and it’s going parallel to the objective of Sri Lanka to shift from quantitative employment to qualitative employment. This really will help to increase our foreign remittances.”
Around 150,000 Sri Lankan expats are employed in Saudi Arabia, and approximately 70 percent of them are unskilled. The Association of Licensed Foreign Employment Agencies has welcomed the latest development, as Saudi Arabia is the job market with the most potential for Sri Lankans. ALFEA Secretary Mohamed Farook Mohamed Arshad said that “The Skill Verification Program is very useful for that. We can market our skilled laborers to Saudi Arabia when this is implemented.”
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