More jobs to open up for Filipinos in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman; here are the most in-demand sectors

Soon, more Filipinos back home will have a chance of working in the Middle East — including the UAE, the government said.

Saudi Arabia alone is looking to make about one million jobs available to skilled Filipinos.

"There are a lot of openings in the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — we're talking about hotels, restaurants, and resorts that will be coming up," said PY Caunan, undersecretary for policy and international cooperation at the Philippines' Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

"Of course, the construction is still included,” she added.

The UAE had also said they are looking for more skilled workers, the official noted.

In a previous report, the government said the UAE is in need of more healthcare professionals.

“Expect in the coming weeks that we will be calling a series of meetings and dialogues with different stakeholders including our OFWs (Filipino expats) to get all the concerns, from the private recruitment agencies, and from our OFWs with regards to our deployment in the UAE,” Caunan said in a report in the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Oman and Qatar have also expressed interest in getting more skilled Filipinos on board, the report said.

All these job openings will be placed in a special hiring programme that the DMW will launch soon.

“(This) special hiring programme would ensure that people have more flexibility when it comes to employment in the KSA,” Caunan said.

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