Sri Lanka is to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Oman in the field of labor, training and to guarantee the rights of migrant workers, a spokesman said on Friday.

Media and Mass Communication Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the MOU would immensely benefit about 25000 Sri Lankans working in the oil rich Arab country. Out of total Sri Lankan employees in Oman, 55 percent are female housemaids.

"The proposed MOU will be of immense benefit to Sri Lanka to protect the rights and to ensure welfare of Sri Lankan migrant workers employed in Oman," Rambukwella said.

The MOU is to cover contract, training, welfare, recruitment, social security scheme and other aspects related to employment of Sri Lankan workers in Oman.

The MOU is similar to which were already signed with other Middle Eastern countries like UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait, he said.

Around 7.5 percent of Sri Lanka's 20 million population works mostly in blue collar jobs in Gulf states and annually a large number of complaints are received of various harassment faced by them from their employers.

Sri Lanka's Bureau of Foreign Employment recorded 14,704 complaints in 2010 alone for breach of employment contracts, non- payment of wages, physical and sexual harassment on the majority housemaids.

The Sri Lankans living in the Middle East provides 60 percent of much needed foreign remittances to the country while facing difficult working condition.

The foreign remittances from Sri Lankan workers in the Middle East reached 2.5 billion U.S. dollars in 2010.