Saudi Arabia, Jordan have taken initiative to legalise undocumented Bangladeshi female workers: Asif Nazrul

Expatriates‍‍` Welfare and Overseas Employment Adviser Asif Nazrul announced that Saudi Arabia and Jordan have initiated steps to legalize undocumented Bangladeshi female workers currently residing in both countries. He shared this information with journalists on May 6, following his recent visit to Saudi Arabia.

Asif Nazrul explained that during his previous trip to Saudi Arabia, he had formally requested the Saudi authorities to take action on legalizing undocumented Bangladeshi workers. He was pleased to report that, during this visit, he learned that Saudi Arabia has already begun the process of legalizing undocumented female workers.

During his time in Saudi Arabia, Nazrul held a meeting with Dr. Abdullah N Abuthnain, the Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Development for Labor. Additionally, on the sidelines of the World Occupational Health and Safety Conference, the adviser met with a Jordanian minister, who confirmed that undocumented Bangladeshi workers in Jordan could also legalize their status if they wished to do so.

Between 2004 and April 2025, Saudi Arabia had recruited around 600,000 Bangladeshi female workers, while Jordan had recruited about 211,000. Bangladesh has also made a request to Jordan to increase the recruitment of male workers from the country.