Yousaf al-Barmawy (65) found a new homeland when he moved from Syria to Pakistan in the 1970s. And so has his son, Ma’ath (44). Together they have been recruiting Pakistani human recourses and placing construction, oil exploitation, manufacturing and agriculture specialists with industry leading firms across the globe.

Leaving four sons and three daughters behind in Daraa, a small conservative town in Syrian which borders Jordan to the south, Yousaf al-Barmawy, a PhD in Business Administration, started recruiting manpower for Saudi construction and oil exploration companies.

Back in 1970s and 1980s manpower export business was at its peak. Dr Yousaf sought help from Ma’ath, his son, then a newly graduate with business management degree from Jordan University. Ma’ath landed at the Karachi International Airport with his young Syrian wife, Misoun, then only 18, to start his career as well as a family life.

Today, after 23 years, Ma’ath is a happy family man and a successful business owner with enough work to keep him busy even on Sundays.

His human resources recruitment company, MYB International (Pvt) Limited, specializes in placing professionals mainly outside Pakistan. Ma’ath has placed over 10,000 Pakistanis with construction and manufacturing companies in countries anywhere from positions in South Korea, Malaysia and Sudan to mention a few.

Placement of Pakistani specialists overseas contributes some 7 billion in USD every year to the country’s economy. With improved tied with the United States and EU, the Pakistani government projects increased numbers of Pakistanis leaving for work abroad to bring an estimated 18billion USD in years to come.

With the raging war against terrorism in Pakistan’s tribal areas and along Afghanistan’s border as well as frequent bomb blasts across the country the official estimates for an increase in manpower exports may sound too ambitious for many but not for Ma’ath.

“One Pakistani works and accomplishes as much as three workers of other nationalities do. This is why Pakistani manpower is welcomed in emerging and growing economies,” says Ma’ath as he lights his next cigarette with the tip of the other still burning.

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