Saudi Crown Prince meets with European Council President

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and the Philippines have agreed to resume sending Filipino workers to the Kingdom by 7 November after days of top-level bilateral talks between the two countries.

Saudi Arabia is the most preferred destination for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), hosting one in five Filipinos working abroad. More than one million Filipinos work in Saudi Arabia, many of them in the construction industry, domestic workers and nurses.

The Philippines previously stopped sending workers to Saudi Arabia, citing various issues related to its citizens’ labor and employment rights.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the two countries agreed to take joint measures to “promote decent and productive employment of OFWs and ensure the protection of their rights.”

Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad bin Sulaiman Al Razi led a Saudi delegation to meet with the team of Secretary of Migrant Workers Susan Opul.

“We are grateful to Minister Al-Raj and the Government of Saudi Arabia for sharing our concerns about workers’ rights. We plan to move forward,” said Ople.

The Philippine official stressed the two countries’ commitment to a joint partnership against migrant worker trafficking, stating that they would “deepen ties between the two countries while sharing concrete ideas and ideas on how best to protect OFWs.” We welcomed the convergence of the measures.”

Saudi Arabia’s labor ministry has pledged to consider proposals to shorten the duration of domestic workers’ employment contracts to one year, an Ople statement said.

Abdul Hanan M. Tao, executive assistant to the National Committee of Muslim Filipinos, stressed the importance of resuming the sending of Filipino workers to Saudi Arabia, calling it a “very welcome development.” is. The bilateral relationship is important for both countries as the first Filipino workers landed in Saudi Arabia 50 years ago.

Tao said the Philippines has benefited greatly economically from its ties with Saudi Arabia, noting that the majority of the Filipino workforce is skilled and there are also good doctors, nurses, engineers and mechanics. mentioned.

“Many of us are aware that contract domestic workers can cause a great deal of trouble and problems, and it is understandable. They form a large part of the economic relationship between our two countries,” he said.

Tao praised the abilities of Filipino workers, saying they love their jobs, are dedicated to their responsibilities, work with integrity and have a strong work ethic.