According to data from the Manpower, Employment and Training Bureau, migration of Bangladeshi women workers to Saudi Arabia decreased by 35 percent this year compared to the same period last year.

This decline, attributed to a lack of job demand from Saudi employers, has contributed to an overall decrease in female migration from Bangladesh, as Saudi Arabia remains the largest labor market for Bangladeshi female workers.

Only 26,834 female workers went to Saudi Arabia between January and September 2024, a decrease from 41,327 workers in the same period last year, the data showed.

Overall, 43,405 female workers migrated from Bangladesh in the first nine months of this year, a 28 percent decrease compared to the 60,566 workers who left in the same period last year, the report said.

Industry insiders point to a shift in employer preferences; Countries like the Philippines are more preferred due to the skills of their employees and better English proficiency.

They say that Bangladeshi women workers mostly go to Saudi Arabia as domestic workers and that they do not have to pay any immigration expenses for such work, which is covered by employers.

Fakhrul Islam, a recruitment agent and managing partner of the Center for Human Resource Development, said Saudi Arabia had previously relied on Bangladeshi domestic workers but is now expanding its hiring options, including workers from the Philippines.

An official from the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh said that Saudi Arabia has expanded its recruitment network, procuring workers from only a few countries in 2015, but now recruiting workers from 20 to 25 countries.

An April 18 report from Gulf News stated that Saudi Arabia has expanded its recruitment options to 33 countries, with the latest additions including Ethiopia, Burundi, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Gambia.

Shameem Ahmed Chowdhury Noman, former general secretary of Bangladesh Association of International Recruitment Agencies, emphasized the need to modernize training facilities in Bangladesh to improve the skills of women migrant workers.

Shakirul Islam, head of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Programme, warned that Bangladeshi women workers may face difficulties and exploitative situations in the Saudi market in the future if they do not have sufficient skills.

Impact of lower employer costs

This hiring decline coincided with a recent decline in the costs paid by Saudi employers to hire Bangladeshi workers.

In January, the Saudi Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development reduced the cost of hiring domestic workers from Bangladesh from 13,000 Riyals to 11,750 Riyals.

Cost caps were also lowered for other source countries such as the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.

According to a recruitment agent, cost cutting has created challenges for Bangladeshi recruiters as high intermediation and related costs make the recruitment process more expensive.