Bangladeshi drivers in Doha have undergone specialised language and cultural training in preparation for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Around 1.5 million people from all over the world are expected to visit Qatar — increasing its population by 50 per cent — during the tournament, which runs from November 20 through December 20, reports Arab News.
One of the numerous service professionals in Qatar who will play a key role in welcoming football fans to the nation are drivers. They work for taxi businesses and ride-hailing services, and 8,000 of them are Bangladeshis.
So the Bangladeshi Embassy in Doha recently ran a three-week training course for Bangladeshi drivers to improve their etiquette and English-language skills.
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“If our drivers can deliver good services to the tourists, it will also be positive country branding for Bangladesh,” Dr Muhammad Mustafizur Rahman, the embassy’s charge d’affaires, told Arab News.
Bangladeshi teachers from Qatari universities delivered the training to 420 participants employed by 15 transportation companies. The training is also available online for those who could not attend in person.
“We do have some limitations in communicating with passengers,” said Abdul Motaleb, one of the drivers who took part in the training. He has been working in Qatar for nearly a decade.
“We received some language tips on greeting the passengers and sharing some basic information about the country,” he continued. “I can’t express how helpful it was.”
For his fellow driver Saydul Islam, the course helped him overcome his shyness when interacting with foreigners.
“Earlier, I was afraid of talking to passengers in English,” he said. “After the training, it became easier.”
The program has also served as a pilot for future training programs for migrant workers in the Gulf state, which is home to 400,000 Bangladeshis, with many also employed in the construction, healthcare, and hospitality sectors.
“We received highly positive responses from the participants,” Rahman said. “The embassy will offer this kind of upskilling program for (those) working in other sectors.”
