Malawi is expected to benefit from plans by the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait to employ over 500 people in the next two years Weekend Nation has learnt.
Dr Desmond Bikoko, who is one of the business captains who travelled to Dubai on a Malawi Investment Trade Centre sponsored trip, said in an interview on Wednesday, Malawi is highly regarded in Dubai because most Malawians are hard working.
Bikoko, who is chief executive officer of an employment agency, Madison Holdings, was part of a 35-person contingent which returned from Dubai on Wednesday where it attended a two-day conference.
“The trip to Kuwait and United Arab Emirates was an eye opener. What we have discovered is that Malawians are highly regarded in that country. This country only has three million people and demand for labour is very high. According to the officials that we talked to, they can take as many as 500 workers in the next two years,” he said.
According to Bikoko, there are currently 100 Malawian workers in Dubai working in the hospitality industry and they are liked because they can communicate in English with ease and are hardworking.
Apart from the job opportunities, Bikoko said other people in the group sealed deals where they will be able to export agricultural produce.
Malawi Investment and Trade Centre public relations manager Deliby Chimbalu said they organised the trip as part of their mandate to sell the country to the outside world.
“This is part of our mandate to organise inwards and outward missions both for trade and investment. We are optimistic that the business captains who travelled to the Middle East sealed deals that will help expose the country further to the outside world,” said Chimbalu.
