Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia are working on establishing a new Arabic language institute in Dhaka, the Saudi envoy of Bangladesh said.
"This will be one aspect of the many areas of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. This morning, I was honoured to call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and we discussed the issue of the Arabic language institution," Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Al-Duhailan told Arab News.
"We know now that many Bangladeshis are taking courses in Arabic language in some colleges here in Bangladesh, or in Saudi Arabia, or maybe other Arab countries, but if you have this institution, it will be a milestone, a backbone for Arabic language speakers here in Bangladesh," he added.
The ambassador said the institute would be a "gift from the government of Saudi Arabia."
He discussed the Arabic institute and teaching program with Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary Abdul Hamid Zamadder.
"Discussions are ongoing on the establishment of the Saudi-funded Arabic language institute in Dhaka. We are trying to find a suitable location," Zamadder said.
He believed it would benefit prospective expat workers, who need to shore up their skills as Saudi Arabia is prioritising efforts to improve the professional competence of employees in its labour market.
"The Kingdom will help us prepare the curriculum for the institute … It will be an institute that will focus mainly on Arabic language training and research," he said.
"After obtaining a certificate from this institute, our migrant workers will find better job opportunities in the Kingdom. The institute will be a great help," the minister further said.
The institute will follow the Kingdom's teaching curriculum to help professionals prepare to work in the Middle East.
Nearly 3 million Bangladeshis live and work in Saudi Arabia. They are the largest expat group in the Kingdom and also the biggest Bangladeshi community outside Bangladesh. Under the Kingdom's Vision 2030, even more of them are likely to find employment in Saudi Arabia, especially if they are skilled professionals.