Embassy seeks more job opportunities in Qatar for skilled Lankan workers

Doha: Sri Lanka, seeking employment opportunities in Qatar for skilled workers in different sectors, will hold an employment promotion event tomorrow in Doha.

 ‘Employment Promotion in Qatar’, organised by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in collaboration with Qatar Chamber will be held at the Sheraton Grand Doha Resort and Convention Hotel.

The event, being held under the guidance and support of Sri Lankan Justice and Foreign Employment Minister Thalatha Atukorale will seek to increase the number of skilled workers coming to Qatar.

It is expected to draw 200 private, government, and semi-government companies from various sectors, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Qatar ASP Liyanage told The Peninsula.

Also, a 55-member delegation including senior officials from the Sri Lankan Bureau of Foreign Employment and representatives of different Sri Lankan recruitment agencies will also participate in the event.

“It will provide an opportunity to the companies to learn about the manpower which we could cater, and the employment and recruitment agency representatives to know the existing opportunities,” said Liyanage. Labour migration from Sri Lanka has grown during the last several decades. Sri Lanka has sent abroad some two million workers, nearly 10% of its population. Around 120,000 Sri Lankans are employed in Qatar.

Embassy of Sri Lanka in Qatar Counsellor (Employment and Welfare) LP Dulip Jayawardene said that although skilled and semi-skilled workers coming to Qatar has increased, they have observed a slight drop in companies recruiting Sri Lankans. “Therefore, we take the opportunity to attract companies which have hired less Sri Lankans,” he said.

According to the country’s Bureau of Foreign Employment, remittance by overseas workers is over $ 5 billion annually, of which about 60% are from Middle East.