As of the second quarter of 2024, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries collectively employed 24.6 million people, with 19 million of them being expatriates. That means nearly 78% of workers across the region are foreign nationals.
Such a high proportion of expatriate workers highlights the region’s heavy dependence on foreign labor, especially in sectors that domestic labor alone isn’t filling.
Such a high proportion of expatriate workers highlights the region’s heavy dependence on foreign labor, especially in sectors that domestic labor alone isn’t filling.
As Khaled Al Sunaidi, GCC Assistant Secretary-General for Economic and Development Affairs, noted at a recent labor summit, the labor sector is vital for sustainable growth in the Gulf. The challenge lies in balancing the participation of nationals while harnessing the skills of expatriates.
Historically, many expatriate workers in these countries fill essential roles—from construction and manual trades to services and skilled technical jobs. This diversity of roles underscores how foundational expatriate labor is across industries, not solely in unskilled work but increasingly in specialized sectors too.
