Hon. Baboucarr O. Joof, The Minister Of Trade
Ramatoulie Jawo
Hon. Baboucarr O. Joof, Minister of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment, informed members of the National Assembly that 30 domestic workers have been recruited and issued visas under the agreement facilitating the recruitment of Gambian domestic workers to the Saudi Arabian labor market, with 22 of them already deployed.
The minister made this statement in response to a query from the Member of Parliament for Serekunda West, asking for an update on the progress of the recruitment process for Gambian migrant workers. The query specifically inquired about the number of Gambian applicants who have been successfully recruited and issued visas for Spain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
“Hon. Speaker as we speak 30 domestic workers have been recruited and issued visas under the agreement for domestic workers to Saudi Arabia labour market 22 out of this number are already in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia to start their employment contracts,” said Minister Joof.
He added that a second batch of eight domestic workers, who have already received their visas and air tickets, are now awaiting clearance from the government to travel to Saudi Arabia.
Regarding the recruitment process for Spain, the minister explained that the process has begun, with applications being accepted from February 3 to February 14, 2025. The pre-selection of qualified candidates is currently underway to identify the most suitable applicants for employment in Spain.
As for the United Arab Emirates, Minister Joof noted that efforts to activate the recruitment agreement with the UAE have been ongoing. Despite sending three reminders through the Gambian Embassy and sharing the necessary ratification instruments, the ministry has not yet received a substantive response from UAE authorities to begin the recruitment process.
Hon. Sulayman Saho, the Member of Parliament for Central Badibou, requested data on the individuals who have been recruited under these agreements. In response, Minister Joof assured that the ministry is maintaining comprehensive records of all individuals traveling under the recruitment programs and would provide the requested data to the parliament if necessary.
This agreement is part of a broader initiative to facilitate the legal recruitment of Gambian workers to Saudi Arabia, while ensuring the protection of both employers and workers, and regulating contractual relations between the two parties.