Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia Expand Labor Cooperation

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A delegation from Uzbekistan held a series of talks in Saudi Arabia focused on organizing legal and systematic employment opportunities for Uzbek citizens, according to official sources.

The delegation included representatives of the Migration Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the Kingdom. During a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmad Al-Sharqi, the Uzbek side was presented with the country’s new labor market development strategy, including modern mechanisms for attracting foreign workers.

The discussions placed particular emphasis on Saudi Arabia’s system of allocating work visas by skill level, ranging from entry-level to highly qualified categories. This approach is designed to better align employer demand with the professional qualifications of foreign workers.

As a result of the talks, the sides agreed to establish a joint working group between Uzbekistan’s Migration Agency and the relevant Saudi ministry. They also agreed on measures to train specialists in Uzbekistan in line with international standards in fields such as medicine, construction, tourism, and engineering.

Other areas of cooperation include the organization of qualification examinations for candidates and the introduction of a structured employment system in Saudi Arabia. The parties also discussed targeted education and training programs in cooperation with the recruitment organization KDOT and major employers in the Kingdom.

The agreements are aimed at streamlining labor migration and expanding employment opportunities for Uzbek citizens in the international labor market.