Saudi Arabia and Philippines Forge New Partnership for Professional Manpower Exchange

In a significant move to bolster their respective labor markets, officials from Saudi Arabia and the Philippines in the private sector have joined hands through a memorandum of understanding. The accord aims to facilitate the exchange of “professional” manpower from the Philippines, meeting the specific demands of the Saudi labor market through collaborations with specialized international firms.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formalized during a Saudi-Philippine roundtable meeting held in Riyadh. This crucial meeting saw the presence of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. of the Philippines and Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al Faleh, along with representatives from leading companies in the human resources sector, as well as officials from government and private sectors from both nations.

In addition to this groundbreaking agreement, the meeting also delved into exploring investment opportunities and discussed ways to fortify economic ties between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. It also emphasized harnessing the expertise of Filipino labor across various sectors.

With approximately 725,000 Filipinos residing in Saudi Arabia according to recent statistics, this partnership holds the promise of a mutually beneficial arrangement for both nations. Last November, Saudi Arabia announced the resumption of recruitment for Filipino domestic workers after a temporary hiatus. This suspension was attributed to new regulations issued by the Philippine Ministry of Labour governing the contractual relationships between Filipino house workers and their foreign employers.

Saudi labor authorities have been actively engaged in regulating the domestic labor market. The launch of the Musaned domestic labor program by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources is a pivotal step in this direction. This platform aims to educate customers about their rights and responsibilities, facilitate visa issuance, handle recruitment requests, and oversee contractual relations between employers and workers.

This collaborative effort stands as a testament to the commitment of both nations in ensuring a well-regulated and efficient labor market that benefits not only the economies but also the individual workers and their families. The MoU signals the start of a promising chapter in the labor relations between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, poised to create positive impacts on both sides.