Fewer construction opportunities for Pakistanis in GCC
Report reveals a sharp decline in Pakistan?s workforce export to Arab states
Pakistan has witnessed a steep decline in the export of its workforce to GCC countries, including Kuwait and Qatar.
Official sources revealed that Kuwait imported 10,545 and 14,544 workers in 2006 and 2007 respectively, but in 2008, 2009 and 2010 (until September) this dramatically declined to 6250, 1542 and 97 respectively, according to the Pak Tribune newswire.
Meanwhile, the report stated that Qatar had imported 2336 workers from Pakistan in the first nine months of 2010. In 2009, it imported a total of 4081 workers from Pakistan, and prior to that, 10,171 workers in 2008.
Saudi Arabia, however, continues to import from Pakistan almost half of the total export of Pakistani workforce to the international market.
Pakistan is also expecting a drop in the export of almost 33,604 workers to the UAE. For the first nine months of 2010, the emirates imported 85,814 workers from Pakistan compared to 140,889 in 2009 and 221,785 in 2008, the report continued.
