Saudi Arabia Wants To Learn From Malaysia's Experience In Increasing Women Workforce

PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), May 12 (Bernama) -- Saudi Arabia wants to learn from Malaysia’s experience in increasing women participation in the workforce from 20 per cent to 40 per cent. Deputy Human Resource Minister Ismail Abd Muttalib said this was expressed by the Saudi Arabian delegation led by its Deputy Minister for Inspection and Development of Working Environment Dr Abdullah Nasser Abuthnain during a courtesy visit here Thursday. Saudi Arabia sees Malaysia as more advanced in women participation in the workforce, at 50 per cent, and wants to learn the initiative programmes here,” he told reporters after receiving the delegation at his office. He added that another aspect that Saudi Arabia wanted to learn from Malaysia was the programme to encourage employers to hire local workers. “This is in view of the fact that the country has 14 million foreign workers who represent 80 per cent of its total workforce,” he said. Ismail said Malaysia had opened up job opportunities to foreign workers only in five sectors while there were currently no limits in Saudi Arabia. He said other matters which were discussed were the mechanism for social protection, rehabilitation programme for injured workers, and workers’ safety and health. Meanwhile, a statement from the Human Resources Ministry said the courtesy call was in conjunction with the working visit of the Labour and Social Development Ministry of Saudi Arabia to the ministry. "The working visit was initiated based on the memorandum of understanding that was signed between the ministries in February during Saudi Arabia's King Salman Abdulaziz visit to the country," it further said. The statement also said that during this visit the senior officials of the two countries had the first joint working group meeting. The visit was envisaged to strengthen and enhance further the Malaysia and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia relations in labour and human resources in the years to come, the statement added. -- BERNAMA