Explainer: Why Saudi Arabia is now go-to destination for Pakistani workers

KARACHI: Several analysts believe Saudi Arabia’s dominance as the top destination for Pakistani migrant workers in 2025 is being driven by stricter visa policies and rising living costs in some Gulf states and a spike in manpower demand from Riyadh’s Vision 2030 infrastructure push.

“There’s a clear shift -- not just among workers, but also among companies -- towards Saudi Arabia,” said Waqas Naeem, a digital media consultant who recently visited both countries. “Dubai is facing immigration bottlenecks, high visa rejection rates and steep living costs. In contrast, Saudi Arabia is easier to access and far more affordable.”

Naeem noted that multinational companies are increasingly setting up operations in the Kingdom due to the opportunities created by Vision 2030. “The cost of living is significantly lower in Saudi Arabia,” he added. “For workers earning AED2,500 to 3,000, basic expenses in Dubai leave very little for savings. In Saudi, the same income stretches further, with rent and food remaining reasonably priced.”

According to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE), 242,337 Pakistanis registered for employment in Saudi Arabia during the first half of 2025 -- accounting for over 70 per cent of all overseas job registrations. This represents a staggering gap with the UAE, where only 13,865 workers were registered in the same period -- a 94 per cent decline compared to over 229,000 in 2022.

Mustafa Fahim, an investment banker based in Riyadh, attributed the UAE’s waning appeal to “increasingly restrictive visa policies” and renewal issues. “Even existing workers have faced visa complications,” he said. “However, there may be exceptions for skilled professionals, especially in IT, as the UAE has introduced freelance and specialised tech visas.” Fahim added that Saudi Arabia continues to absorb large numbers of blue-collar workers due to massive ongoing projects like NEOM, The Line, Qiddiya and Diriyah. “Pakistan is a key labour source due to its geographical proximity and cost-effective workforce,” he said. “And for white-collar professionals, Saudi Arabia still offers relatively easier access than the UAE.”

Education expert Ayesha Razzaque also pointed to anecdotal evidence of widespread visa issues. “We have seen visit and work visa rejections, especially for men in certain age groups, become increasingly common,” she said. “Some Pakistani academics with job offers from UAE universities this year had their visas rejected.”

Razzaque believes this could be linked to perceptions around visa overstays and informal job hunting. “Many people in recent years have travelled to the UAE on visit visas, only to stay on while seeking work -- contributing to tighter scrutiny,” she said. “While the UAE government has not officially confirmed this rationale, it circulates in diplomatic and social circles.”

She noted that Pakistan’s interior minister Mohsin Naqvi recently met with his UAE counterpart to seek visa facilitation. “While some visa concessions were reportedly extended to officials and diplomats, we will have to wait and see whether there’s meaningful relief for professionals,” she added.

Outside the Gulf, other destinations are slowly emerging. Turkiye received 1,688 Pakistani workers in the first half of 2025 -- more than ten times its 2021 figure -- while Germany attracted 523, with many drawn by IT-skilled worker programmes and freelance visa pathways.

“These schemes make Germany increasingly attractive for Pakistani tech workers, especially with a growing diaspora offering support,” Fahim said. Turkiye’s appeal, meanwhile, is driven by “relatively affordable postgraduate education,” he noted, particularly for MBA students.

With Saudi Arabia now dominating new labour outflows, experts warn that Pakistan’s overseas employment strategy must respond dynamically to these shifts. “The next few years could be critical,” said Naeem. “The window created by Vision 2030 won’t last forever.”