As many as 300,000 Pakistanis found jobs in Middle Eastern countries from January to May 2026, despite the constant months long tension there. Saudi Arabia and the UAE remained the main destinations, and that’s why remittances hit $4.2 billion in May last.
In this connection, the figures released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment showed Saudi Arabia remained the leading destination, receiving 143,586 Pakistani workers during the period. The United Arab Emirates was the second-largest destination, with about 50,000 Pakistanis emigrating there.
This trend of going to the Middle East for finding jobs there, did not affect even by the prevailing tension there, which has directly affected by the conflict. The war began on Feb 28 and lasted about a month before a ceasefire was reached.
In this situation, Saudi Arabia was also drawn into the fighting and reportedly faced multiple attacks by Iran targeting American facilities there. Despite a ceasefire, the uncertainty is still in the region.
In this crystal clear situation, Gulf countries remained key labour markets for Pakistanis. The UAE continued to attract workers during the period, including to Dubai, which had been viewed as one of the potential targets during the conflict. During March, when fighting was under way, hundreds of Pakistanis were seen lining up for getting KSA and UAE visas.
Not only this, other Gulf states also continued to receive Pakistani workers. Official data showed that about 25,500 Pakistanis left for Qatar during January-May, while 10,129 migrated to Bahrain over the same period. Both countries had also been seen as vulnerable during the conflict.
It helped supporting remittance inflows, which reached a record $4.2 billion in May. Total remittance inflows by the end of FY26 are expected to exceed the $40 billion target, indicating that overseas employment in Gulf states has remained strong despite regional instability and unrest.
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