Pakistan is planning to double its manpower exports to Saudi Arabia following last month’s landmark defense deal between the two countries, according to Arab news.
The initiative aims to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation and capitalize on Saudi Arabia’s growing labor demands under Vision 2030.
According to the Bureau of Emigration & Overseas Employment (BEOE), Pakistan sent 1.88 million workers to Saudi Arabia between 2020 and 2024 — a 21 percent rise from the 1.56 million recorded between 2015 and 2019.
Remittances from the Kingdom also increased from $7.39 billion in 2020 to $8.59 billion in 2024, underscoring the strong and sustained demand for Pakistani labor.
In contrast, remittance inflows from the UAE fluctuated between $5.8 and $6.8 billion, while those from Qatar remained below $1 billion annually during the same period, according to data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).
Impact of Saudi-Pakistan defense pact
The defense agreement signed in September is expected to deepen decades of security cooperation and stimulate economic engagement.
“The Saudi-Pakistan defense pact will have a great impact on manpower export,” said Gul Akbar, a senior director at the BEOE. “The current average export is around half a million workers per year, and from next year, we hope to double it to one million.”
The BEOE, in coordination with Pakistan’s Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), is drafting a comprehensive plan to support this expansion. Officials said the draft would soon be shared with Saudi counterparts in upcoming bilateral meetings.
To oversee bilateral economic engagement, Pakistan has formed a high-level committee comprising key ministers and officials. The committee will monitor the progress of agreements and ensure alignment with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 initiatives.
Akbar said Pakistan has proposed setting up technical training institutes in both countries to enhance skill certification and the employability of Pakistani workers. “We are also proposing an e-visa system for Pakistani workers,” he added.
Saudi Arabia: Pakistan’s top remittance source
Saudi Arabia continues to be Pakistan’s largest destination for workers and the biggest remittance source, contributing $736.7 million in August alone out of a total $3.1 billion inflow, according to SBP data.
Experts attribute the rise in Pakistani workers traveling to the Kingdom to major Vision 2030 development projects, which are generating high demand for skilled and semi-skilled labor. The 2034 FIFA World Cup, set to be hosted by Saudi Arabia, is also driving the need for foreign workers in construction, transportation, and hospitality sectors.
While manpower exports to Saudi Arabia have surged, Pakistan’s exports to the UAE declined sharply—dropping 65 percent from 1.32 million to 463,000 workers between 2020 and 2024.
Meanwhile, Qatar doubled its intake, rising from 74,000 to 170,000 workers in the same period, reflecting shifting labor dynamics in the Gulf region.
To meet the Kingdom’s labor needs, Pakistan has partnered with Takamol, a skill verification initiative, and NAVTTC (National Vocational and Technical Training Commission), which certifies workers in 62 skilled categories ranging from construction to technical services.
Masood Ahmad, CEO of M.Pak Makkah Manpower Services, told Arab News that his firm dispatched around 2,000 workers to Saudi Arabia this year alone.
“The defense pact has boosted Saudi employers’ confidence in Pakistani workers,” he said, noting particularly high demand for health care professionals and delivery drivers.
Remittances as economic lifeline
Despite concerns about brain drain, officials view overseas employment as a key economic driver. “Pakistan’s surplus labor is an economic resource,” said Gul Akbar, adding that overseas workers contribute remittances, knowledge, and technical skills upon return.
Remittances remain a vital source of foreign exchange, helping narrow the current-account deficit and support household consumption. In the last fiscal year, Pakistan recorded $38.3 billion in remittances — an $8 billion increase over the previous year, surpassing even the country’s $7 billion IMF loan program.
