Minister Thalatha Atukorale concludes visit to Bahrain

Minister of Foreign Employment and Justice Thalatha Atukorale led a delegation on a visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain in her capacity as the chair of the 18-member Abu-Dhabi Dialogue (ADD). 

Minister Atukorale was invited as a State Guest of the Bahrain Government since Sri Lanka is the Chair of ADD. The entire three-day visit was coordinated and organised by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Labour and Social Development of Bahrain and the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Bahrain. According to the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Bahrain, Dr. A. Saj U. Mendis, the three-day visit of Minister Atukorale was highly productive, focused and results-oriented as she met a number of senior cabinet ministers and senior officials of the Bahraini Government, among others. 

During this visit she also had comprehensive and interactive meetings with Sri Lankan expatriates, presidents and office-bearers of Sri Lankan clubs in Bahrain and leading employment and recruitment agents. 

Minister Atukorale had her first meeting with Minister of Labour and Social Development of Bahrain, Jameel Bin Mohamed Ali Humaidan, and she expressed her appreciation to the Labour Minister and the ministry for being most receptive to the needs, requests and concerns of Sri Lankans living and working in Bahrain. 

Atukorale also highlighted the fact that these courtesies, facilitation and cooperation extended to Sri Lankan nationals patently reflected the congeniality and cordiality between the two countries. The Labour and Social Development Minister stated that most of the employers and potential employers wished to recruit Sri Lankan expatriates since they were highly competent, loyal and committed, among other traits. 

The two dignitaries discussed the future vision of ADD and the most efficacious courses of action to be executed and implemented in order to make the ADD even more instrumental and influential to both labour sending and labour receiving countries, thus benefiting migrant workers. 

Minister Ali Humaidan assured Minister Atukorale that his ministry would encourage other potential employers in Bahrain to recruit more semi-skilled, skilled and highly-skilled Sri Lankan nationals since they have been an asset to the country in its economic and socioeconomic advancement. Ambassador Dr. Mendis spoke about how critical migrant workers were for Sri Lanka, stating that they contribute the greatest foreign exchange remittances to the country. 

Both the Minister and Ambassador added that approximately 1.4 million Sri Lankans domiciled outside of Sri Lanka were a manifestly conspicuous and significant element of the economic base of the country. 

During Atukorale’s summit level meeting with Ausamah Bin Abdullah Al Absi, the Chief and CEO of the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), the sole body of recruitment and processing of foreign expatriates to Bahrain, he also echoed similar sentiments with regard to Sri Lankan expatriates and the future plans of LMRA to aggressively increase the recruitment of semi-skilled and skilled Sri Lankan nationals to Bahrain. 

Both Minister Ali Humaidan and LMRA CEO Al-Absi have been to Sri Lanka during the last year and conveyed their appreciation over the touristic attractions of the country, among other things. Both visited Sri Lanka as guests of the Government as Minister Humaidan visited to attend the ADD Summit meeting and Al-Absi visited to conduct bilateral discussions.  

Minister Atukorale also called on the high-profile Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed Bin Rashid Alzayani in order to discuss and solicit more semi-skilled and skilled employment for Sri Lankan nationals. Minister Alzayani, being a notable and leading corporate captain of industry and business before entering politics, welcomed Minister Atukorale at his corporate office and extended crucial advice and guidance on the manner in which skilled employment could be secured for Sri Lankan nationals in Bahrain. 

He added that Sri Lankan expatriates have proven themselves in their respective disciplines and were respected in the country, mostly for their competence and honesty. Minister Alzayani and Minister Atukorale also discussed the promotion of tourism since both Sri Lanka and Bahrain’s national carriers operate direct flights between both countries. Minister Alzayani is also a board member of Gulf Air and the powerful Economic Development Board known as EDB. Ambassador Dr. Mendis stated that the Citi Group has listed Sri Lanka as one of the ‘3G Countries’. 3G stands for ‘Global Growth Generators’. The 3G list of countries consists of 11 rapidly developing and high potential economies including those of India, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Nigeria. Minister Atukorale said the current Government was extensively focusing on economic diplomacy and was seeking employment opportunities in highly-skilled and skilled sectors such as financial services, ITES, trade, management, medical services, quantity surveying, lecturing and engineering, among other segments. 

Atukorale went on to state that it was heartening to witness a rapidly developing Bahrain, which is similar to any other developed nation. An economically strong Bahrain as well as a strong and stable Gulf region is of inherent significance for Sri Lanka both in the realm of employment and commercial activity. 

At the embassy, Atukorale and her delegation had a meeting with a number of presidents and office-bearers of Sri Lankan clubs and associations, including the only registered association, known as the Sri Lanka Club, which is nearly 40 years old, and a select number of Sri Lankan expatriates who live and work in Bahrain. 

This was an opportunity for Minister Atukorale to meet and discuss issues of relevance and significance with them. They were pleased since this was the first occasion that they had the opportunity to directly express their concerns and suggestions to the minister in charge of foreign employment. 

Minister Atukorale also had a formal meeting with nearly 40 leading employment and recruitment agents in Bahrain who are seminal in creating and finding employment opportunities for qualified Sri Lankan nationals. The agents assured that they would be eager to secure more qualified and skilled Sri Lankan nationals since there was high demand for them in Bahrain.  

Minister Atukorale’s delegation consisted of the Advisor to the Minister Padmini Rathnayake and coordinating secretaries Indrajith Wijesooriya and Upali Hathalawatta.