Islamabad – April 2025: In a significant trend for overseas employment, over 172,000 Pakistani workers have migrated abroad during the first quarter of 2025, according to fresh data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE). The majority of these workers are heading to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, with Saudi Arabia absorbing the lion’s share of Pakistani manpower.
From January to March 2025, a total of 172,144 Pakistanis moved to over 50 countries, averaging 57,381 emigrants per month. Saudi Arabia alone recruited 121,940 workers, accounting for 70% of the total overseas workforce export.
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Other GCC countries also welcomed thousands of Pakistani workers during this period:
- Qatar: 12,998
- Bahrain: 9,139
- Oman: 8,331
However, emigration to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) witnessed a significant decline, with only 6,891 departures recorded. Industry insiders attribute the drop to frequent revisions in the UAE’s visa policies and emigration requirements, particularly impacting states like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
Call for Policy Reforms & Structured Migration
Ibrahim Amin, a banking consultant for overseas Pakistanis, emphasized the urgent need for a formalized mechanism involving employment promoters, diplomatic missions, and overseas welfare organizations. This would help keep potential migrants updated on evolving visa policies and job market trends, especially for the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Amin also proposed the introduction of a screening system to filter out individuals with criminal backgrounds or those aiming to exploit foreign systems under the guise of employment, including scammers and professional beggars.
Boosting Remittances Through Formal Banking Channels
With more than 4.4 million non-resident Pakistanis residing in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, there’s untapped potential for increasing remittance inflows. Currently, many blue-collar workers operate outside the banking system due to account ownership barriers, relying instead on informal channels like Hawala and Hundi.
Although several Pakistani banks operate in both nations, requirements like a minimum deposit of 5,000 Dirhams or Riyals often discourage account opening. Amin urged the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and commercial banks to simplify banking access for overseas workers to shift remittances to formal channels.
According to SBP, Pakistan receives over $700 million per month from Saudi Arabia and $600 million monthly from the UAE, out of a total remittance pool of $3 billion. Experts believe these figures could significantly rise if banking systems are made more accessible to the overseas workforce.
