More Lankans likely to seek jobs in Qatar Wednesday, 06 October 2010 05:03

By Fazeena Saleem

DOHA: Qatar is expected to attract more Sri Lankan job-seekers as the National Recruitment Committee in Saudi Arabia has said that it will refrain from signing further employment contracts with workers from the island nation. Recruitment agencies here expect many will turn to Doha, due to its huge job potential.

“We believe job-seekers might turn to Doha if the doors to Saudi Arabia are closed. There are many jobs available here,” said a Sri Lankan recruitment agency in Doha. They also claim to have no problems in recruiting procedures.

The National Recruitment Committee in Saudi Arabia had urged all private recruitment offices in the country to refrain from signing further contracts for the employment of Sri Lankans, reports said.

The Sri Lankan Embassy in Doha said it has not received any information on the issue. “No, we are not informed about it” said

A Tharmakulasingham, Counsellor, Sri Lankan Embassy in Doha.

Standard recruitment procedures are followed by the embassy as per memorandum of understanding signed between Qatar and Sri Lanka in 2008. “It was implemented in August this year and followed successfully,” Tharmakulasingham further said.  

However, the recent developments pertaining to the rights of workers in Saudi Arabia have worried Sri Lankan residents in Doha too. A family planning to move from Doha to Riyadh by the end of this year said: “There are conflicting reports about Sri Lankan employment in Saudi, we have to really confirm it with the officials there as we cannot

take a risk.”

“If a ban is implemented, I hope it will not effect the present workers there, my brother is employed in Jeddah through a recruitment agency,” said another Sri Lankan resident. The Peninsula

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