LAHORE: Some relief for skilled Pakistanis seeking employment in Saudi Arabia, as Punjab government launched the ‘Parwaz Card’, an interest-free loan scheme aimed at easing the financial burden of overseas employment. The initiative will help job seekers cover essential expenses, including travel, visa processing, and medical costs, enabling them to take up overseas job opportunities without financial hardship.
The initiative is aimed at addressing one of the biggest hurdles faced by Pakistani professionals, the inability to afford recruitment fees, travel costs, medical examinations, and other mandatory expenses despite having confirmed overseas job offers.
Eligible candidates will get financial support to pay for airline tickets, overseas recruitment agency charges, medical tests, Saudi Arabia’s mandatory Takamol Skill Verification Test, and other essential expenses before departure. The loan can also be used to purchase personal necessities, including clothing.
Among the first beneficiaries is 45-year-old nurse Samira Morris, who served for nearly two decades in the dialysis ward of Lahore’s Services Hospital. The mother of five said her family’s financial situation deteriorated after her husband developed a serious heart condition. Although she secured employment in Saudi Arabia, the costs associated with recruitment and relocation were beyond her means.
Through the Parwaz Card program, she received the required support and training and is now preparing to join a hospital in Riyadh, where she will earn 3,000 Saudi Riyals per month. She described the initiative as a life-changing opportunity that would not only improve her family’s financial future but also highlight the capabilities of skilled Pakistani professionals in international markets.
Morris also said that working in Saudi Arabia carries personal significance, calling it both an economic opportunity and a spiritual privilege because it is home to Islam’s two holiest mosques.
The government is modernizing its vocational training system to meet international labor market standards, establishing modern construction laboratories, heavy machinery training centers, and specialized healthcare academies to prepare workers for overseas employment.
Punjab Board of Technical Education is being digitized, while a dual certification verification system is being introduced in collaboration with European, British, and Australian institutions to strengthen the credibility of Pakistani technical qualifications among foreign employers.
The provincial government has set an ambitious target of facilitating overseas employment for 45,000 skilled workers over the next three years. The first 135 Parwaz Card beneficiaries have already begun departing for international jobs, with more than 90 percent heading to Saudi Arabia, primarily in the hospitality and construction sectors.
The initiative is also intended to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by supplying skilled Pakistani workers to sectors experiencing growing demand.
