On March 28, 2022, Labour Minister Mr. Suchart Chomklin, Assistant to the Labour Minister Mr. Surachai Chaitrakulthong, the Ministry of Labour’s Spokesperson (on politics), Mrs. Theanrat Nawamawat, the Minister’s Advisor Sergeant Ekayossingh Liamlert, Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, the Department of Employment’s Director-General, Mr. Pairoj Chotikasathian, and delegation, met with Mr. Ajlan bin Abdulaziz Al-Ajlan, President of the Saudi Arabian Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce in Riyadh. The meeting negotiated cooperation in sending Thai workers to work in Saudi Arabia to support trade and investment according to the Saudi Arabian economic development guidelines. The effort is also in line with the labour agreement between the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. The occasion took place at the Saudi Arabian Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Suchart said that the Thai Prime Minister, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, gives great importance to enhancing the country’s competitiveness, especially through upgrading the workforce’s potential following entrepreneurs’ needs, and developing the country’s economic system. The Ministry of Labour understands that the Saudi Arabian Chamber of Commerce is the main body that plays an important role in contributing to cooperation between the government, the private sector, and the labour sector. They operate to promote trade and investment following the economic and social development plan, in line with the national development guidelines. Therefore, the Ministry of Labour recognizes the importance of supporting the skilled workforce required by Saudi Arabia to ensure the efficient delivery of skilled workers to achieve the objectives of the labour agreement framework.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Saudi Arabia was established in 1890, with its headquarters in Riyadh. It takes care of the common interests of all 28 Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the Kingdom, which are the representatives at the local and international levels. The Chamber of Commerce is responsible for developing the role of the private sector in the country’s economy to achieve its goals, which has played an important role in upgrading and developing the Saudi Arabian economy. It collaborates and coordinates with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, businesses, and relevant departments within the Saudi Arabian framework. It further contributes to achieving the 2030 vision and implementing plans to engage with government agencies in creating systems and policies relevant to the business sector. Furthermore, it promotes the participation of the business sector in economic and social development. It upgrades the small and medium enterprises and their role in developing foreign economic relations to enable trade cooperation with allied countries. He also praised Thai workers who are skilled, diligent, and responsible. They are desired by employers. As such, the Chamber of Commerce is very willing to support the import of labour to further support trade and investment to drive the two countries’ economies further.
The Labour Minister, Mr. Suchart Chomklin, assigned the Permanent Secretary of Labour, Mr. Boonchob Suttamanaswong, and the team to visit SMASCO recruitment company to listen to the company’s operations in importing the workers, including the management systems involved in the delivery of labour. The effort will help reduce the problem of importing labour and maximize the benefit to workers. They also spoke about the company’s potential in effectively managing the import of labour and exchanged information on vacancies that Thai workers could fill. Currently, Saudi Arabia requires many workers, especially in the service, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, and construction sectors. For some positions, language skills are required, especially basic languages like English or Arabic, which could be of benefit.
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Division of Public Relations
29 March 2022
