DOHA: Philippine Ambassador to Crescente Relacion said that thousands of Filipinos who will be displaced by "Saudisation" policy are likely to seek jobs in Qatar.
"There is a big possibility that they will come here," Relacion said about Filipinos mostly mid-level professionals such as engineers, supervisors, assistant managers and technicians who will be affected by the new policy of Saudi Arabia fixing quota to provide employment to around half a million jobless Saudi nationals.
The Saudi government is expected to implement the "Saudisation" programme until August 30.
Relacion said the prospects for the affected Filipino workers are bright in Qatar, especially with the start of the construction frenzy next year for big infrastructure projects needed for the FIFA World Cup 2022.
The ambassador explained the Saudisation programme has been going on already for a number of years but most private employers did not comply with the policy and opted to continue hiring foreign workers.
Over the years, Saudi Arabia has been host to the biggest number of Filipino workers among their fellow countrymen in the Middle East with some 1.4 million population.
The Saudisation plan, once it will be fully implemented, will likely displace some 90,000 Filipino professionals.
Qatar is not however spared from the decline of the population of Filipino workers with only an estimated 150,000 this year from as high as about 250,000 in the previous year.
But the large number who returned home to the Philippines was skilled workers mostly with finished contracts from the completed big infrastructure projects in the oil and gas industry.
Relacion has expected the population will be go up again in the following years when the construction boom will start for the World Cup infrastructure projects.
© The Peninsula 2011
