Low-skilled Saudi jobs getting tougher for Bangladeshis amid mandatory certification, poor salary

Securing low-skilled but high-demand jobs such as cleaners and loading-unloading workers in Saudi Arabia has become increasingly difficult for Bangladeshis, as the Gulf nation decided to include these roles under its Skill Verification Program (SVP) certification process.

These two job categories account for nearly 50–60% of total Saudi-bound employment from Bangladesh, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).

Recently, the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka halted issuance of visas for these roles without SVP certification. The enforcement has already started creating backlogs and sector insiders now fear that the largest labour market for Bangladeshis may shrink due to the new requirement.

Moreover, although the certification is now required, there has been no corresponding increase in the wages of Bangladeshi workers, raising concerns among recruiters and migrant rights advocates.

Saudi Arabia is the largest destination for Bangladeshi workers, where over 30 lakh Bangladeshis are currently working, according to an unofficial estimate.

Currently, most of the major labour destinations like UAE, Oman, Bahrain, and Malaysia have largely closed their doors to Bangladeshi workers except for Saudi Arabia.

In mid-2023, the Saudi authority launched SVP to hire Bangladeshi workers in five sectors – plumber, electrician, welder, refrigeration/air conditioning technician, and automobile electrician. 

In the last two years, it has expanded to 71 trades, and is expected to cover 73, including cleaners and loaders, within the coming months, BMET sources said.

According to Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (Baira) sources, the sudden requirement for certification has led to an estimated 80,000–90,000 visa requests pending at the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka.

BMET data shows that the number of Saudi-bound workers decreased to 64,504 in June, which is around 5,000 less than the previous month.

However, at the request of the expatriate welfare ministry, the Saudi Embassy agreed to issue visas for loading-unloading workers without certificates until 20 July this year, which was made mandatory two weeks back, a top official of BMET told The Business Standard.

The cleaners' category may get a grace period of a few more months.

Another BMET official told TBS that expatriate welfare adviser Asif Nazrul has already sent a letter to the Saudi authority requesting relaxation of mandatory certification for cleaners and loading-unloading workers.

Industry concerns

Talking to the TBS on Thursday, Md Salah Uddin, director of Training Operations at BMET, said, "We are facing the biggest challenge with the cleaner and loading-unloading trades. 

"The ministry is holding repeated meetings with recruiting agencies on this issue. Several agencies are in trouble as visa issuance for these trades has suddenly stopped – because no one can go without an assessment."

"We also don't support making certification mandatory for cleaners or loaders-unloaders. While certification is a good initiative, enforcing it in this way will prevent many categories of workers from going abroad. Not everyone will be able to pass the test, and the market will shrink," he added.

Explaining the process, he said, "Currently, they are required to take a computer-based written exam, followed by a practical test to assess their cleaning skills. But we haven't been able to start this yet."

He further noted, "It would be better if the computer test could be skipped for these trades. It's too difficult for them. If they could be certified based solely on practical exams, that would be more appropriate."

"Such initiatives make sense when it comes to skill development. But for loading-unloading, physical fitness should be enough," he added.

Backlog of thousands of aspirants

Kafil Uddin Majumder, proprietor of Freedom Overseas, told TBS, "Most of those who go under general worker visas end up doing cleaning or loading-unloading. Suddenly including them under the training requirement has created chaos. Many have already done medicals, which are now at risk of expiring."

"Just two days ago, the Saudi Embassy issued a declaration that passports for those whose MOFA (data entry on Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal) was done by 19 June will be accepted by the embassy today [Thursday]. But no decision has been made about those who are still in the pipeline," he added.

"Every day, around 2,500 to 3,000 passports are submitted to the embassy. Even if 20% of these belong to the two newly affected categories, the backlog is huge. My company alone has nearly 100 workers caught in the backlog," he further explained.

How BMET is preparing

To accommodate the SVP, initially BMET has launched skill verification assessments for the loading-unloading trade in nine technical training centres (TTCs) across the country. 

The trade will later be rolled out to 20 TTCs after Saudi authorities visit and approve the facilities under the Skill Verification Program (SVP).

"Our monthly target is to assess 30,000 workers in loading-unloading and 5,000 in cleaning. Combined with other skills, we aim to bring at least 40,000 workers under Takamol each month," BMET Training Operations Director Salah Uddin told TBS.

In the past year, around 27,000 workers have been assessed under the SVP, of whom 21,000, around 73%, have passed and gone to Saudi Arabia, according to BMET data.

The assessment typically takes place after 75% of the migration process is completed. Only when the employer confirms the job placement, and the demand letter is approved, does the candidate sit for the test.

Under the Takamol system, workers must register, take an online exam, and obtain a skill certificate valid for five years. The registration fee is $50. While it was initially announced that SVP would bear this cost, it is now being paid by the migrant workers themselves.

Candidates must complete the registration online by paying the fee, after which they sit for the computer-based exam at authorised TTCs.

Salary has not increased 

After signing the MoU, former Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Yussef Essa Al Duhailan had said the SVP would facilitate the recruitment of skilled Bangladeshi workers to Saudi Arabia, which in turn would boost remittance inflow and contribute significantly to Bangladesh's economy.

However, the salary of Bangladeshi workers has not increased after the imposition of the mandatory certification. Sector insiders say Bangladeshi workers in low-skilled jobs like cleaners and construction workers typically earn Tk25,000 to Tk30,000 per month in Saudi Arabia.

Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former Baira secretary general, told TBS, "What benefit are our workers getting from this certificate? They are paying fees for the test, but their salaries haven't increased. If their wages had at least doubled, that would be something."

He also criticised the government's approach, saying, "Before signing the MoU with Saudi Arabia, our government should have asked for a clear SOP. Instead, we jumped into the process without proper negotiation. Now we're not seeing any real benefit."

Addressing the issue of unchanged wages, a senior BMET official said, "We will push from the government level to ensure better pay. 

"Once all recruitment shifts to a government-to-government system, there will be an opportunity to bargain for higher salaries since workers are already qualifying through the SVP."