Saudi job market slows as Bangladesh seeks new openings

Shamsul Islam

The Saudi labour market, the largest destination for Bangladeshi migrant workers, has begun to slow, with recruitment falling by nearly half this year. Around three million Bangladeshis currently work in Saudi Arabia and contribute significantly to the country’s economy through remittances.

According to BMET data, 237,295 Bangladeshis secured jobs in Saudi Arabia between January 1 and August 10 this year, compared with 410,613 during the same period in 2025. The decline has been attributed mainly to Saudi Arabia’s Saudisation policy under Vision 2030, tighter visa and documentation rules, and increased recruitment of local workers. Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, with matches scheduled in 15 stadiums across Riyadh, Jeddah, Al Khobar, Abha and NEOM. Large-scale construction and infrastructure projects are expected to create employment opportunities, and manpower exporters believe Bangladesh should take immediate steps to secure a larger share of these jobs.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been invited to visit Saudi Arabia by the Saudi king, although the dates have yet to be finalised. Bangladeshi expatriates and manpower exporters hope the visit will help address labour-market restrictions and strengthen protections for migrant workers. Human rights activist and migration analyst Mr. Mohammad Mohiuddin told Inqilab that declining overseas recruitment is a global trend, while remittances from expatriate workers continue to support Bangladesh’s economy. He called for consultation with manpower exporters and said Saudi visa approval, document verification and embassy attestation should be simplified and digitised. He also stressed expanding Takamol skills verification, providing internationally recognised training and jointly developing workers suited to the demands of Vision 2030.

He further called for stronger bilateral coordination to address problems involving workers’ iqama, wages, employment contracts, healthcare, workplace and safety. A modern, long-term labour cooperation agreement and a permanent joint working group involving governments, employers and licensed recruiting agencies could make the labour market more stable, he said.

Former BAIRA Joint Secretary Mr. Fakhrul Islam said the prime minister’s Saudi visit could provide an important opportunity to resolve existing labour-market problems, create new jobs and increase the recruitment of skilled Bangladeshi workers. “Saudi Arabia is a long-standing and important development partner of Bangladesh,” Mr. Islam said, stressing that visas should be issued only after verifying employers’ recruitment projects and financial capacity so that workers do not face unemployment or unpaid wages after arrival.

He also called for easier iqama renewal, noting that many workers become undocumented when their iqamas are not renewed. “If these problems are not resolved quickly, Bangladesh’s reputation and future employment opportunities in the Saudi labour market could be affected,” he warned.