Attention has turned to a developing story after kARACHI: Despite the war in the Gulf region, Pakistani workers continued to leave for jobs in countries directly affected by the conflict, particularly during March. Spokesperson data showed that during January-May, over 300,000 Pakistanis discovered employment in Middle Eastern states led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Highlights

Understanding what led to this point requires a closer examination of the circumstances involved.

The largest number of Pakistani workers left for Saudi Arabia, while around 50,000 emigrated to the UAE, one of the countries most affected by the war.

Based on to data released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, 143,586 Pakistanis left for Saudi Arabia during the five-month period, the highest number for any single destination country.

Observers have also noted that saudi Arabia was also drawn into the conflict and reportedly tackled multiple attacks by Iran targeting American facilities in the kingdom.

Standout Performances

Those following the situation closely say this marks a meaningful shift.

Although the war, which began on Feb 28, terminated after about a month following a ceasefire, intermittent strikes by the US and Israel, as well as retaliatory attacks by Iran, continued to fuel uncertainty across the region.

Of particular significance is the fact that over 300,000 Pakistanis found employment in ME states in Jan-May, led by Saudi Arabia and UAE Despite these developments, Pakistanis continued to seek employment opportunities in Gulf countries.

In a related development, dubai, which was considered among the potential targets amid the conflict, received thousands of Pakistani workers during the first five months of 2026.

Numbers

Looking at the practical effects, the outlook remains significant and wide-ranging.

During the conflict in March, hundreds of Pakistanis were also seen queuing outside the Dubai consulate in Karachi to obtain visas.

Against this backdrop, bahrain and Qatar, which were in addition considered vulnerable during the conflict, continued to attract Pakistani workers.

According to those with knowledge of the situation, the figures revealed that on the subject of 25,500 Pakistanis left for Qatar, while 10,129 migrated to Bahrain during January-May.

In a related development, the continued outflow of workers may have helped sustain remittance inflows, which had earlier been expected to weaken.

In a detail that has not gone unnoticed, remittances reached a record $ 4.2 billion in May, while total inflows by the end of FY26 are expected to exceed the $ 40bn target.

Looking Ahead

The developments detailed here represent only the latest chapter in an ongoing story. As more information becomes available, the full picture is expected to come into sharper focus for those following the situation.