Sierra Leone’s Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Hon. Mohamed Raahman Swaray on Thursday, 14th December, 2023, held a fruitful bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the first Global Labour Market Conference (GLMC) with the Vice Minister for the Labour Sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Nasser Abuthnain.
Hon. Swaray conveyed kind sentiments from His Excellency to the President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, to His Excellency, Dr. Abdulla Nasser Abuthain, adding that as the new Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security of the Republic of Sierra Leone, he felt fulfilled to meet with him on the sidelines of the Conference in the Kingdom’s capital of Riyadh.
“Your Excellency, I am just taking over the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security of Sierra Leone. I just thought we should collaborate more closely and deeply in addressing issues of common interest to expand the labour market of the two countries,” he said.
The Minister expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for giving the opportunity extended to Sierra Leone nationals to work in the Kingdom, noting that he was confident that they had been putting the best of behaviours as ambassadors of Sierra Leone. The Minister said that the Government of His Excellency President Bio believed in Human Capital Development, adding that Sierra Leone was looking forward to marketing its labour force globally, and Saudi Arabia was considered as one of those ideal places.
On his part, H.E Dr. Abdulla Nasser Abuthnain said that his Ministry had a technical committee on Labour Exchange Programmes, adding that Sierra Leone would be incorporated into that committee for experience sharing and to increase the recruitment of more Sierra Leoneans to both the public and private sectors of the Kingdom.
During the meeting, it was disclosed that a total number of 8,000 jobs had been allocated for the Sierra Leone labour sector, but, so far, only 18 spaces had been filled. Responding, Hon. Swaray assured the meeting that he would do all within his powers to fill the huge number of spaces left.
Sierra Leone and Saudi Arabia, on 28th June 2022, signed bilateral agreements for the recruitment of domestic and general workers between the two countries.
In another development, Hon. Mohamed Rahman Swaray also held a strategic meeting with the Deputy Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The Minister also held fruitful bilateral
Meetings with his counterparts from Qatar, Libya, and the Gambia. The meetings were geared towards fostering collaboration to expand opportunities in the labour market.
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By Abubakarr Bah, Information Attaché
