Dubai to recruit 6,000 drivers from Bangladesh

Dubai Taxi Company will recruit 6,000 skilled drivers from Bangladesh this year. As part of the process, interviews for driver recruitment will begin tomorrow at the Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre. The information was disclosed today during a courtesy meeting between Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury and a delegation of Dubai Taxi Company at the ministry in the capital.

During the meeting, the minister thanked the delegation for recruiting skilled drivers from Bangladesh and expressed hope that the initiative would continue in the future. He said the ministry would provide all kinds of support throughout the process. The minister also urged the company to ensure salaries and allowances for workers during their training period after arriving in Dubai. At the same time, he requested them to recruit other professionals from Bangladesh, including doctors and nurses.

Representatives of Dubai Taxi Company said that around 15,000 employees from 27 countries are currently working for the company as taxi and limousine drivers. Of them, nearly 8,000 are Bangladeshi nationals. They added that Bangladeshi workers are given priority in recruitment due to their skills and hard work. They further said that through the interviews beginning tomorrow, around 1,500 new drivers will initially be screened and selected. The company is interested in recruiting a total of 6,000 Bangladeshi drivers this year.

Speaking at the programme, State Minister for Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Nurul Haque said Bangladeshi drivers have to spend a large amount of money to migrate to Dubai. Since most workers are poor and often take loans to go abroad, he urged the authorities concerned to reduce migration costs and keep them within Tk 100,000. At the meeting, representatives of Al Anas Overseas, an approved recruiting agency for sending workers to the United Arab Emirates, said they are also interested in recruiting cleaners, technicians and mechanics from Bangladesh alongside drivers. Secretary of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Md Mokhter Ahmed, senior officials of Dubai Taxi Company and other ministry officials were present at the meeting.