By Tanzim Anwar

DHAKA, Nov 15 (BSS) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) can be a major destination for skilled and semi-skilled manpower in the next five years especially in hotel management sector as this gulf country is going to invest 1.5 trillion US dollars in hotels and travelling to turn itself into one of the prime tourism hubs in the globe.

"About 100 hotels are expected to be opened by next two years and the country needs lots of skilled people in hotel management as well as utility services," Bangladesh Ambassador to UAE Nazmul Quaunine told this correspondent in Dubai recently.

He said the Bangladesh mission has communicated the matter to all concerned offices in Dhaka including the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry to provide training for the people, intending to be employed abroad.

"It's a competitive world, if we couldn't manage to send skilled and semi-skilled manpower within the time, this bulk will automatically move to other countries," he said.

Presently, the UAE is recruiting 15,000 to 20,000 Bangladeshi workers per month amid the ongoing global economic crisis, which made the country the largest manpower destination for Bangladesh.

Qatar and Saudi Arabia are creating only 3000 to 2500 jobs per month, he added.

The UAE government made a rule in last May that all payment to the overseas workers must be made through banks as per the strong lobbing of the Bangladesh mission, he said.

"After implementing the rules, rights of seven lakh Bangladeshi labors in the UAE are ensured and presently no workers are facing harassment about salary," he said.

Bangladesh needs to set up a special training center equipped with all modern facilities to provide Arabic and English language training targeting the intended semi-skilled manpower.

He said the local Bangladeshi mission formed a special team, which regularly visited the workplace of Bangladeshi labors to see their well being physically.