Since the early 70’s, Saudi Arabia and all of Middle East had been the blue collar job seekers’ paradise, pulling droves of skilled and semi-skilled people from South Asia. Bangladesh had always been a steady supplier of workers who have, over the decades, made notable contribution to the formation of modern day Saudi Arabia. However, according to a Saudi gazette, in the last quarter of 2017, almost five hundred thousand overseas workers left the oil rich kingdom with the entry of one hundred thousand Saudi workers into the job market, who are, reportedly, university graduates.
Apparently, the demographics of the Saudi employment sector is undergoing a transformation with more local people entering employment to increase the number of Saudi workers which so far stood at 23.3 per cent with 3.16 million workers. Expatriate workers formed the bulk of the workers, accounting for 76.7 per cent of the market with 10.41 million workers. With more Saudi men and women entering employment, the number will see marked change over the next few years.
This is a positive development for the gulf nation because their own people with degrees from universities are taking responsibility of guiding the country into a future where dwindling oil reserves will have profound impact on existing socio-economic credo. On the other hand, this is a bane for expatriate workers who will now have to look elsewhere for jobs. Since Bangladesh’s enviable foreign exchange is sustained by regular remittance from workers overseas, the shift in Saudi Arabia, soon to be seen in other countries too, should be a warning.
This is the time to look for new working areas, especially in African countries where economy is booming with former colonial rulers coming back as workers, advisers and consultants. Acting prudently, Bangladesh should move away from blue collar jobs only and start to offer specialists in IT, electronics, engineering, language and even academia.
The 2008 European recession triggered an out of Europe move which resulted in many from EU countries taking up work in other countries and international organisations. Bangladesh can also offer specialists for international markets though a misconception that this country can only offer blue collar workers has to be shattered first.
Bangladesh has sent blue collar workers for decades; now we need to send our specialists to compete with others of the same category. Extirpating prejudiced outlook and shattering a fiercely enforced glass ceiling, preventing our talented, will be the key challenge here.
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Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.
Editor : M. Shamsur Rahman
Published by the Editor on behalf of Independent Publications Limited at Media Printers, 446/H, Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1215.
Editorial, News & Commercial Offices : Beximco Media Complex, 149-150 Tejgaon I/A, Dhaka-1208, Bangladesh. GPO Box No. 934, Dhaka-1000.