Where do the 35 million foreigners living in the GCC come from?

EXPLAINER

More than half of the 62 million inhabitants of the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are foreign workers.

Nearly 62 million people living in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been caught in the crossfire of the latest war between the United States and Israel against Iran.

Known for their economic opportunities, these countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), collectively host nearly 35 million foreign workers from around the world, predominantly from South Asia.

Where do GCC foreign workers come from?

Generations of foreign workers in the GCC countries have contributed significantly to the workforce, including day labourers, construction workers, domestic staff, security staff and cleaning staff, all vital to building the modern infrastructure that the Gulf nations are known for.

Millions of people call the Gulf their home, despite having nationalities from other countries.

Additionally, highly skilled foreign workers have long careers in industries such as banking, finance, technology, engineering, aviation, medicine, and media.

According to Global Media Insight, a digital marketing agency based in the United Arab Emirates, the 10 largest groups of non-nationals living in the six GCC countries come from:

India: 9.1 million
Bangladesh: 5 million
Pakistan: 4.9 million
Egypt: 3.3 million
Philippines: 2.2 million
Yemen: 2.2 million
Sudan: 1.1 million
Nepal: 1.2 million
Syria: 694,000
Sri Lanka: 650,000

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Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is the largest of the six GCC countries, with a population of almost 37 million.

riad — Aerial view of the city of Riyadh from the Mamlaka Tower, a 99-story skyscraper, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Amr Nabil/AP Photos)

The oil-rich country has a local population of around 20.5 million and an additional 16.4 million foreign residents.

The five largest groups of non-nationals living in Saudi Arabia are people from:

Bangladesh: 2,590,000
India: 2,310,000
Pakistan: 2,230,000
Yemen: 2,210,000
Egypt: 1,800,000
Sudan: 1,000,000

The United Arab Emirates

The UAE has the second largest population in the GCC, totaling approximately 11.3 million people.

The Dubai skyline is visible with the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, during the COP28 UN Climate Summit, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023 (Kamran Jebreili/AP Photo)

It is made up of seven emirates, including the capital Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.

Emiratis make up almost 12 percent of the population, and foreigners make up almost 88 percent.

The five largest groups of non-nationals living in the UAE come from:

India: 4,360,000
Pakistan: 1,900,000
Bangladesh: 840,000
Philippines: 780,000
Iran: 540,000
Egypt: 480,000

Kuwait

With a population of 4.8 million, Kuwait has the third largest population in the GCC.

Approximately 1.56 million are Kuwaiti citizens and 2.16 million are foreign workers.

The five largest groups of non-nationals living in Kuwait come from:

India: 1,000,000
Egypt: 700,000
Bangladesh: 350,000
Philippines: 250,000
Pakistan: 200,000
Nepal: 120,000

Oman

The population of Oman amounts to approximately 4.7 million people. Oman’s 2.5 million citizens make up almost 59 percent of the population, while the remaining 2.05 million (or 41 percent) are foreign workers.

The five largest groups of non-nationals living in Oman come from:

India: 766,735
Bangladesh: 718,856
Pakistan: 268,868
Egypt: 46,970
Philippines: 45,213
Uganda: 20,886

Qatar

Qatar has a population of about 3.2 million people, of which 2.87 million foreign workers account for about 88 percent. Qatari citizens number around 330,000, representing 12 percent.

The five largest groups of non-nationals living in Qatar come from: