Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Imran Ahmad said that Bangladesh will continue exploring the overseas labour market in Oman as the Gulf economy has started overcoming the impact of Covid-19 with the launching of different development projects involving several billion US dollars.
He said this while speaking at a reception marking Sultanate of Oman’s 52nd National Day celebration at a city hotel last week
Imran Ahmad said that Oman is hosting around 700,000 Bangladeshis to work in the Sultanate who are actively contributing to the socio-economic development of both the countries.
Bangladesh exported a total of 135,481 workers (15.49 per cent of total employment) during the January-September period of the current calendar year, 2022. Bangladesh, however, exported a total of 874,739 workers to different countries during the current calendar year, according to the statistics of the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET).
The share of employment in Oman shot up to 15.49 per cent of the total employment during the first nine months of the current calendar year as against 8.91 per cent of the last calendar year, according to the data of BMET
“Oman is an important labour market to Bangladeshi expats and this country will also continue to remain vibrant this year as the Gulf country has started implementing a number of development projects,” Imran Ahmad said.
Quoting Omani policy-makers and top business leaders, he said: “Oman recalls the role of expatriate Bangladeshis in the development process of the Gulf country over the years.”
KSA is the largest labour market for Bangladeshi expats as of now. The country exported 46,68,542 workers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the 1976-2021 period, sharing 34.3% of the total labour market.
Laying emphasis on diversification of the export basket, he said Bangladesh can penetrate in the Gulf market catering to the taste of Omanis .
Praising the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Oman Ambassador in Dhaka Abdul Ghaffar Al Balushi said that Bangladesh is on course to become a developing country in 2026.
The Oman diplomat lauded the role of the present government under the prudent leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in uplifting the living standard of the people and the country's economic status.
