Dubai Taxi Company plans to recruit 6,000 Bangladeshi drivers this year

Dhaka: A delegation from the Dubai Taxi Company met with Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury at his office on May 17, where the company expressed interest in recruiting 6,000 Bangladeshi drivers this year.

During the meeting, the minister thanked the visiting delegation for recruiting skilled drivers from Bangladesh and expressed hope that the recruitment process would continue in the coming years. He also assured the company of all necessary support from the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment to facilitate the process.

The minister requested the company to ensure salary and allowances for workers during their training period after arriving in Dubai. He also urged the company to recruit more “white-collar” professionals from Bangladesh, including doctors and nurses, alongside drivers.

Representatives of the Dubai Taxi Company said around 15,000 workers from 27 countries are currently employed with the company as taxi and limousine drivers, of whom nearly 8,000 are Bangladeshis. They said Bangladeshi workers are given priority because of their hard work and dedication, said a press release from the ministry.

The delegation also noted that Bangladeshi women are successfully working as drivers at Dubai Airport.

According to the company representatives, interviews and screening of qualified Bangladeshi drivers will begin from tomorrow at the Bangladesh-Korea Technical Training Centre. In the current phase, the company plans to recruit 1,500 additional drivers, with a total target of 6,000 drivers this year.

State Minister Md. Nurul Haque said the migration cost for Bangladeshi drivers traveling to Dubai remains very high. He requested the company reduce the migration cost to within BDT 100,000, considering that many aspiring workers are poor and often take loans to finance their migration expenses.

Representatives of Al Anas Overseas, the sole authorized recruiting agency for sending workers to the UAE company from Bangladesh, were also present at the meeting. They said the company is also interested in recruiting Bangladeshi cleaners, technicians, and mechanics in addition to drivers.

Senior officials of the ministry, including Secretary Md. Mokhter Ahmed, and senior representatives of the Dubai Taxi Company attended the meeting.

K