Saudi Arabia emerges as top destination for Pakistani workers, data shows

KARACHI: Saudi Arabia has cemented its position as the leading destination for Pakistani migrant workers in 2025, accounting for over 70 per cent of all overseas job registrations in the first half of the year, according to data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE).

Between January and June 2025, 242,337 Pakistanis registered for employment in Saudi Arabia. This surge could reflect Riyadh’s large-scale infrastructure push under Vision 2030 and sustained demand for both skilled and unskilled labour.

In January, ‘Arab News’ quoted Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Chaudhry Salik Hussain as saying Islamabad was working to increase the outflow of trained Pakistani workers to Saudi Arabia, which he said required innovative project management and a highly skilled workforce to support its economic transformation agenda.

This marks a notable shift in Pakistan’s labour export market, traditionally dominated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In the first half of the year 2025, only 13,865 workers were registered for the UAE, down from over 229,000 in 2022, marking a shocking 94 per cent drop in just three years.

The sharp decline comes as Gulf labour markets recalibrate post-Covid, with UAE firms likely prioritising localisation and technological adoption over foreign hiring. In recent months, the Gulf country also adopted stricter immigration and labour policies with several Pakistanis complaining of facing visa rejections.

Overall, more than 336,000 Pakistanis registered for employment abroad, according to BE&OE. Of the 336,442 total registrations, a staggering 200,882 were classified as labourers -- making up nearly 60 per cent of all foreign employment seekers. Drivers followed as the second-largest group with 73,342 registrations, reflecting continued demand in Middle Eastern countries for basic service and transport sector workers.

Skilled trades also maintained significant presence. The most in-demand skilled occupations in 2025 (Jan-June) include: electricians: 3,599; technicians: 6,246; carpenters: 1,866; painters: 1,105; and plumbers: 1,237.

While white-collar migration remains modest, demand persists. Around 2,884 engineers; 1,869 doctors; 752 nurses; and 3,180 accountants registered for employment abroad. While these numbers are significantly lower than those of manual labour categories, they do underscore a consistent demand for qualified professionals in destination countries.

Other Gulf nations are also drawing increasing interest. Qatar received 26,448 workers in the first half of 2025. Bahrain posted strong numbers with 18,679 registrations -- on track to surpass previous years; in 2024 a total of 25,198 workers migrated to Bahrain, an 88 per cent increase from the 2023 levels when 13,345 people migrated.

Remittances from Gulf countries remain vital for Pakistan, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for nearly half of total inflows. In June 2025, Pakistan received $3.41 billion in remittances, down from $4.05 billion in March. Saudi Arabia contributed $823.2 million and the UAE $717.2 million, according to the State Bank of Pakistan’s data released last month.

Outside the Gulf, Turkiye and Germany are becoming emerging migration hotspots. Turkiye received 1,688 workers in just six months -- more than ten times its 2021 number. Germany attracted 523 workers, showing a steady rise in skilled migration to Europe.

If current trends continue, overseas employment in 2025 could approach or slightly undercut 2024’s figure of 727,381. However, it may remain below the record highs of 2022 and 2023, when global economies aggressively reopened post-pandemic.