ISLAMABAD/ ( City reporter) In a landmark development set to transform Pakistan’s overseas employment landscape, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Tuesday signed a historic trilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at significantly expanding manpower cooperation and opening a major employment gateway for skilled Pakistani workers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
The agreement is expected to create thousands of well-paid job opportunities for skilled Pakistanis, marking a major breakthrough in overseas employment while laying a strong foundation for sustained economic growth through record increases in workers’ remittances. The initiative is also expected to substantially reduce unemployment and poverty, strengthen Pakistan’s foreign exchange reserves, and usher in a new era of economic cooperation between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
The strategic MoU was signed between Fouji Foundation Pakistan, Shalaan and GL, and Saudi Arabia’s Operating Company for Hunger Station, one of the Kingdom’s leading delivery service operators. The signing ceremony was held at the KHM Group Head Office. The agreement was formally signed by Major General (Retd.) Ehsan Mehmood on behalf of Fouji Foundation Pakistan, Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich representing Shalaan and GL, and Nazieh Al Nouri, Head of the Saudi delegation representing the Operating Company for Hunger Station. Senior officials from the participating organizations, including Colonel Arif, were also present on the occasion.
Under the agreement, the three organizations will jointly facilitate the transparent and merit-based recruitment of thousands of qualified and professionally trained Pakistani drivers for employment in Saudi Arabia, ensuring quality overseas employment opportunities with competitive salaries.
Addressing the ceremony, Khalid Nawaz Sadhraich, Chief Executive Officer of Shalaan Agency, described the agreement as a historic milestone for Pakistan’s skilled manpower export sector. He said Saudi Arabia’s decision to give preference to Pakistani skilled workers over labour from other countries reflected the renewed spirit of trust, brotherhood and enduring friendship between the two nations.
