Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has highlighted the country’s potential to export qualified labor to Saudi Arabia in accordance with the Kingdom of Vision 2030 development framework.

Aurangzeb, who spoke on the sidelines of the new market economy conference in Alula, emphasized the growing opportunities for Pakistan to support Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation.

“We believe that there is great potential for exports from Pakistan, especially with regard to qualified labor, in terms of everything Saudi Arabia requires in terms of the performance of Vision 2030,” he said, adding, “So there is a number of opportunities for the two countries to work together. “

Saudi -Arabia’s Vision 2030 aims to reduce the kingdom’s dependence on oil and increase sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation and tourism. The initiative has created a growing demand for qualified workers that Pakistan hopes to meet.

With over two million Pakistanis already working in Saudi Arabia, the country is still an important source of transfers to Islamabad. While most Pakistani workers in the Kingdom are employed in a blue collar jobs, demand for qualified labor is expected to rise when Saudi Arabia modernizes its economy.

Pakistan’s Education and Professional Ministry of Education has worked on a new educational policy to educate at least one million young people annually with technical skills suitable for employment in the golf region, including Saudi Arabia.

In addition, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) has proposed a partnership with the Pakistani government to provide educational programs to equip Pakistani youth with “modern and relevant skills” required by the Saudi job market, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office.