Riyadh: Twenty-five Sri Lankan foreign employment agencies marked their inaugural participation in the Saudi Human Resources and Manpower Expo 2024, held in Riyadh from October 27 to 30. This historic involvement was facilitated by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Riyadh, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE). The event saw the inauguration of the Sri Lanka pavilion by the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Ameer Ajwad.
According to Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Sri Lanka, the Expo featured leading human resource and recruitment companies from Saudi Arabia, alongside a substantial international presence from European, Asian, and African countries. The delegation from Sri Lanka engaged in business-to-business meetings with their international counterparts, seeking to explore and expand employment opportunities for skilled Sri Lankan workers in the Saudi market.
On the final day, the Embassy hosted a feedback session for the Sri Lankan delegation. Ambassador Ame
er Ajwad highlighted the expanding opportunities in the Saudi labor market for skilled Sri Lankan manpower, particularly in light of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 agenda. He urged the recruitment agencies to capitalize on these opportunities and emphasized the importance of the agreement between Sri Lanka Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission and Takamol Holdings of Saudi Arabia. This agreement, focused on a Skill Verification Program, covers 23 skilled labor categories and aims to enhance the professional competence of Sri Lankan workers, thereby facilitating their recruitment in Saudi Arabia.
The feedback session included a workshop to incorporate agency inputs into an action plan being developed by the Embassy to strengthen labor relations between Sri Lanka and Saudi Arabia. The event saw participation from Deputy General Manager (Logistics and License) B.A. Rohini and Acting Manager (Marketing) E. A. P. M. Dewasurendra of the SLBFE, with R. K. K. M. P. Randeniya, Counsellor of Employment and Welfare a
t the Embassy, coordinating the visit.