Cairo: Talks are underway between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines to employ domestic workers in the kingdom, a Saudi labour official has said.
Spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources Saad Al Hamad added that the ministry would also seek labour recruitment from other countries in Asia and Africa.
“The ministry is endeavouring to diversify the domestic labour-exporting countries,” the official told Al Arabiya TV.
Last week, the Saudi government approved two agreements for employing Thai labour in the kingdom, the latest sign yet of growing ties between the two countries.
The approval came at a Cabinet meeting headed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz.
The agreements are related to employment of domestic workers and labour in general. Both pacts were signed by the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and the Thai Ministry of Labour last March as part of efforts to develop ties between the two countries.
Around 200,000 Thai workers are expected to be hired annually in the kingdom, according to the Saudi Federation of Chambers.
Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia and Thailand agreed to fully restore diplomatic ties between the two countries and to exchange ambassadors for the first time in around 32 years.
