Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain told the National Assembly on Wednesday that jobs in Saudi Arabia for Pakistani workers have led Gulf hiring, with more than 1.2 million people travelling to the kingdom for employment over the past three years. He said 1.7 million Pakistanis are employed across six Gulf countries.
Gulf destinations and three-year totals
The minister gave the house a country-by-country picture of movement over that three-year span. Beyond Saudi Arabia, 169,000 Pakistanis went to the United Arab Emirates and 145,000 to Qatar. Oman accounted for 91,000, Bahrain for 80,000, and Kuwait for 10,000.
Official figures presented during Question Hour put the wider outflow higher still. Some 1.871 million Pakistanis left the country for work abroad over the last three years, covering 2024 to 2026. That total includes destinations beyond the six Gulf states named in the employment breakdown.
Skilled and highly educated workers
Documents submitted to the National Assembly show that 15,850 Pakistanis have left for foreign countries in 2026 so far. Of that group, 681 were listed as highly qualified and skilled. Those who relocated include doctors, engineers, IT experts and teachers.
Earlier years also show large numbers of highly educated citizens taking posts overseas. In 2025, 28,726 highly educated Pakistanis secured employment abroad, including 1,510 categorised as highly skilled. In 2024, 45,830 highly educated citizens went abroad for work.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 2024: 45,830 highly educated Pakistanis went abroad for work.
- 2025: 28,726 highly educated Pakistanis secured jobs abroad, including 1,510 highly skilled workers.
- 2024–2026 (three years): More than 1.2 million Pakistanis travelled to Saudi Arabia for employment; 1.7 million were reported employed across six Gulf countries; 1.871 million left Pakistan for work abroad overall.
- 2026 (so far): 15,850 Pakistanis departed for foreign countries, including 681 highly qualified and skilled individuals.
- Wednesday (National Assembly): Chaudhry Salik Hussain presented the Gulf and overseas employment figures to the house during Question Hour.
For households weighing Gulf options, the official picture is clear on volume: Saudi Arabia remains the main destination when measuring jobs in Saudi Arabia for Pakistani citizens against other Gulf markets named in the briefing. The figures do not spell out how posts were arranged, visa terms or pay scales.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Wazir ne National Assembly ko bataya ke pichhle teen saalon mein 1.7 million Pakistani Gulf ke chhe mulkon mein kaam kar rahe hain. In mein se zyada tar Saudi Arabia gaye — 1.2 million se zyada. UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain aur Kuwait mein bhi lakhon logon ne rozgar hasil kiya. Ghar walon ke liye yeh matlab hai ke Middle East ab bhi Pakistani workers ke liye sab se bara market hai, khas tor pe Saudi Arabia.
