DUSHANBE, October 30, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- First Tajik labor migrants are expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in January 2010.

Senior representatives from the Interior Ministry migration service yesterday met in Dushanbe with Saudi delegation, led by Saad Al-Baddah, the head of the National Commission for Recruitment.

The National Commission for Recruitment (NCR) is a subsidiary of the Riyadh-based Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

A source at the migration service said that issues related to development of efficient mechanisms of recruiting labor migrants from Tajikistan to Saudi Arabia as well as creating an efficient system of training courses for migrants on called-for specialties and Arabic and English were among major topics of the meeting.

The sides also discussed issues of legal labor migration between the two countries with regard to experience in protecting rights and legal interests of labor migrants outside the country, the source noted.

They also considered issues related to development of flexible mechanisms to ensure management of migration flows, creation of transparent and efficient procedures for regulation of labor migration.

During the meeting, it was noted that skilled engineers, architects, carpenters, and wood-carvers are currently in demand in Saudi Arabia.

Representatives of the Saudi delegation expressed readiness to accept Tajik migrants in January 2010.

Chairman of the Society of Ethnic Tajiks in Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Abdullah Abdu Khaliq, noted that hospitals in the south part of Saudi Arabia needed medical workers.

Under a memorandum of cooperation in the field of migration signed between the two countries in Al-Riyadh in last September, 800 Tajik specialists will travel to Saudi Arabia in 2010-2011 for seasonal work.

In the meantime, local experts say that annual manpower growth in Tajikistan is estimated at more than 100,000 people.  Even if some 500,000-600,000 Tajiks travel every year to Russia seeking better employment opportunities, Tajikistan is not able to provide all Tajiks with jobs inside the country.

We will recall that Arab News reported on May 21, 2009 that decks have been cleared for the recruitment of hundreds of Tajik workers who lost their jobs in Russia and elsewhere due to the global economic crisis. The first group of 2,000 workers will possibly be deployed in Saudi Arabia in a staggered schedule later this year, Arab News reported, noting that the plan has been given the green light following the visit of Tajikistan’s Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi in May this year.  The Kingdom and Tajikistan have decided to forge closer cooperation in the field of manpower recruitment.