Bangladeshi maids ready for jobs in Saudi Arabia

Bangladesh is to send thousands of its women aged 25 to 45 to work as housemaids in the Kingdom.
“Thousands of women are to be trained here for overseas employment in the Kingdom, other Middle Eastern countries and Far East countries such as Hong Kong and Singapore,” Begum Shamsun Nahar, director general of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), told Arab News here yesterday.
She said talks were held with a Saudi delegation last month on the employment of Bangladeshi housemaids. She said the recruitment process would commence after an agreement is signed between the two parties.
She said the Saudi delegation also visited the BMET training centers where housemaids are being trained for Middle East postings. The members of the delegation were satisfied with the training provided.
"The delegation also saw how smart cards and biometric passports are issued for foreign workers in our country, which would prevent impersonation and ensure the right worker goes to the right job,” she said.
Housemaids are trained over 21 days.
The government has stipulated $ 200 as a minimum wage for housemaids working in the Middle East and $ 500 for other jobs. The government launched online registration of female workers last week in Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet.
Nahar said the online program eliminates intermediaries in the recruitment process, with women workers dealing directly with the government.