Engineering Post Report
More than 12.4 million Pakistanis have proceeded abroad for employment in over 50 countries around the globe through official procedures as of December 2022.
According to information now available, more than 96 percent of Pakistani registered workers for overseas employment are in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They were contributing to the development of Pakistan’s economy by sending remittances back home to their families through official channels which was the major source of foreign exchange after exports. Due to the normalization of post COVID-19 pandemic and ease in visa restrictions , an increasing trend was being observed in terms of emigrants registered during 2022 including GCC countries.
According to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, official body of the federal government , in 2022 more than 62 percent ( 514725) Pakistani workers moved to Saudi Arabia followed by UAE 15.5 percent for earning their livelihood abroad. Oman provided jobs to 82380 (9.9 percent) and Qatar accommodated 57984 (7.0 percent) Pakistani workers of different occupations. Bahrain and Malaysia welcomed 13652 (1.6 percent) workers and 6175 (0.7 percent) workers from Pakistan respectively. During 2022, the Board of Emigration and Overseas Employment had registered 829549 workers in different categories including semi-literate, qualified and highly qualified which indicated an increasing trend in terms of emigrants registered as compared to 2021.
During 2022, the period under report, Pakistani workers who proceeded abroad in search of employment opportunities in different countries were highest from Punjab (458241) followed by khyber Pakhtunkhwa (22488) and Sindh (59067).
The massive development projects in various GCC countries under Vision 2030 have created various employment opportunities for Pakistanis which are likely to continue in the next few years, the official sources maintained.
Both the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resources Development and the Bureau continue to take appropriate measures and steps for boosting the manpower export and also ensuring their safety, orderly and regular emigration.
