Monday, June 06, 2016 
Photo | Radio Ergo editor Muhyadin Ahmed Roble interviewing Ambassador Dahir Gelle/Ergo
(ERGO) - There have been reports in the past few months that the governments of Somalia and Saudi Arabia have made a deal to send an unspecified number of mainly female domestic workers from Somalia to Saudi Arabia. There has been much talk and speculation over the nature of the agreement and whether or not it could result in the exploitation especially of young Somali women abroad.
Somalia’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dahir Gelle, spoke about the issue for the first time in an interview in Mogadishu with Radio Ergo editor, Muhyadin Ahmed Roble. Muhyadin asked first whether the deal was about exporting young women as maids to Saudi Arabia.
Amb. Dahir: I would like to start to clarify the whole issue. The workers going to Saudi Arabia are not only women. It is open for both men and women, but it will depend on the nature of the work and the demand level inside the Kingdom. The only thing that is new is that King Salman allowed us [Somalia] to become one of the countries exporting workers to Saudi Arabia. For a long time, we have been locked out of this opportunity to send any workers to the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia accepts 1.5 million workers from foreign countries every year.
Muhyadin: And what is the role of the Somali government?
Amb. Dahir: There is no limit to the number of workers going to Saudi Arabia. It will depend on how the interested workers meet the requirements to get recruited. The role of the government is to facilitate the whole process.
Muhyadin: Who will transport the recruited workers to Saudi Arabia?
Amb. Dahir: There are two recruitment agencies from the two countries that are involved in the process. The Saudi agency will enter a contract with the Somali company .The Somali agency in its part will enter a contract with the job seekers and will facilitate their visas and their transport. The job seekers must sign an agreement with the Somali company before they are given the positions. Upon leaving Somalia, the Saudi agency will take up the responsibility and will distribute the workers among the employers who have also signed agreements with the agency.
The government role will be limited to helping the job seekers to obtain valid documents like passports, travel documents, identity cards and vaccination certificates. In addition, the Saudi government requires the applicants to acquire certificates of good conduct from the Somali security agencies, stating they have no previous criminal record.
The government will not export the workers and will not force them to enter a contract with these agencies. The government will follow the issue very closely and will be aware of their situation in the Kingdom. We will be in touch with them and serve them in case they encounter challenges, like losing their job, having their contract terminated unlawfully, suffering physical abuse, falling ill or needing to renew their passports. The embassy will serve all Somali workers equally and will come to their rescue if they are denied their rights or abused. The embassy will further ensure the Somali workers honour their agreements with their employers.
Muhyadin: So, both men and women will benefit from the new agreement?
Amb. Dahir: Saudi Arabia is in need of workers and that doesn’t necessarily mean housemaids only. They can work in residential homes and private business places regardless of their gender. Some of the jobs include driving, house cleaning, gardening, helping sick people at home and basic home maintenance.
In their first meeting about the issue, King Salman confirmed to President Hassan that all jobs will be open to all Somalis, as long there is no qualified Saudi national who wants to take up the post. It depends on what and who they want. If they need female domestic workers, we cannot force them to employ our doctors or other professionals.
Muhyadin: Are you insisting that the female domestic workers are not the only ones recruited under this deal?
Amb. Dahir: As I said earlier, all Somali professionals will have the right to work in Saudi Arabia. These opportunities are open to both men and women of this nation including doctors, drivers, female domestic workers and farm labourers. The Saudi company will recruit the applicants according to the needs of Saudi employers.
Muhyadin: How many Somalis have been recruited so far, since signing the agreement?
Amb. Dahir: No one has gone to Saudi Arabia so far. We are still at the planning stage. Once the process starts, the Somali government will play its part by issuing documents to the successful applicants. We are expecting to send as many workers as possible to Saudi Arabia on a daily or weekly basis.
Muhyadin: How many Somalis will benefit from this agreement?
Amb. Dahir: The Somali minister of labour and social affairs met his Saudi counterpart in Jakarta. He requested the Saudi minister to allow us to send 50,000 Somali workers to his country. The Saudi minister stated that the Somalis can send even more than that if they are willing. So I think we can take a lion’s share of the 1.5 million foreign workers who are employed in Saudi Arabia every year.