Emigration to the Gulf States
The Gulf Cooperation Council states — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — are the workhorse of Pakistani labour migration. In 2024 alone, roughly 85–90% of the 727,381 Pakistanis who registered for overseas employment went to the GCC, and Saudi Arabia and the UAE together are the two largest source countries for remittances into Pakistan. None of these states run a points-based system: access depends on a sponsoring employer, under labour systems descended from — and in varying stages of reform away from — the traditional kafala model.
Country scorecard — at a glance
| Country | 2024 worker outflow | Kafala reform | Long-term residency | Pakistani population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 452,562 | Substantial (2021–25) | Premium Residency | ~2.6m |
| Oman | 81,587 | Omanisation tightening | None | ~317k |
| UAE | 64,130 | Partial (2021/24) | Golden Visa | ~1.5–1.9m |
| Qatar | 40,818 | NOC abolished 2020 | Narrow, 20yr | ~4.7% of pop. |
| Bahrain | 25,198 | Earliest reform, 2009 | None | ~100k |
| Kuwait | Visa ban until 2025 | Kafala intact | None | ~114k |
Green generally favourable · Amber developing or mixed · Red restrictive. Figures are BE&OE annual registration counts, not total population. Indicative summary only, not immigration advice.
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has taken the furthest kafala reforms in the Gulf. Building on the 2021 Labour Reform Initiative, 2025 reporting describes an effective abolition of the kafala system for roughly 13 million migrant workers: the right to change employers without prior approval, exit and re-enter without an exit visa, and keep control of one's own passport, administered through the "Qiwa" digital platform. Skilled Pakistani professionals can apply for Premium Residency (Iqama Mumayazah) — Saudi Arabia's sponsor-free "green card" — via a renewable permit (SAR 100,000/year) or a one-time SAR 800,000 permanent fee. Saudi Arabia is by far Pakistan's largest single labour destination: 452,562 workers registered in 2024 (62% of all outflow) and roughly 2.6 million Pakistanis are resident.
United Arab Emirates
The UAE has reformed kafala less comprehensively than Saudi Arabia or Qatar: Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 (amended 2024) removed the mandatory No Objection Certificate for most job transfers, which now take 2–4 weeks. The Golden Visa offers 5- or 10-year sponsor-free residency to skilled professionals (bachelor's degree, minimum salary AED 30,000/month); 2025–26 expansions added nurses, teachers and AI/data-science/clean-energy specialists. An estimated 1.5–1.9 million Pakistanis live in the UAE, with over 400,000 in Dubai and roughly 47,000 Pakistani-owned businesses, though annual worker inflow slowed sharply in 2025 (roughly 13,865 in the first seven months versus 64,130 for all of 2024).
Qatar
Qatar abolished the No Objection Certificate requirement in September 2020, letting workers of any nationality change employers without employer permission — one of the region's most substantial single reforms. The minimum wage is QAR 1,800/month including allowances. Permanent residency remains narrow — Law No. 10 of 2018 requires 20 years' residence and caps grants at roughly 100 a year — though a parallel Golden Visa investment route ($1 million+ in designated zones) can lead to a PR card. Pakistanis make up about 4.7% of Qatar's population; 40,818 workers registered in 2024.
Kuwait
Kuwait retains kafala and layered on stricter residency rules under Amiri Decree 114/2024. The more significant development for Pakistanis specifically: Kuwait had maintained a de facto visa ban on new Pakistani entrants since around 2006 (post-9/11 security concerns), holding the resident Pakistani population near 100,000–150,000 for nearly two decades. That ban was officially lifted in 2025, reopening work, family, visit and business visa categories to Pakistanis for the first time in a generation — a major, nationality-specific policy reversal still working through its effects on worker flows.
Oman
Oman regulates work permits under Ministerial Decision 602/2025. "Omanisation" quotas, in place since 1988, have been tightening: Decree 501/2024 and further restrictions effective January 2025 closed professions such as systems analysts, network specialists and computer maintenance technicians to expatriates, alongside active enforcement (over 23,000 arrests for "illegal labour practices" in 2024 alone). No Pakistan-specific visa ban was found. Oman is nonetheless a major destination — 317,296 Pakistanis resident at end of 2024 (up 10% year-on-year) and 81,587 workers registered that year, Pakistan's second-largest GCC destination by annual flow.
Bahrain
Bahrain reformed kafala earliest in the region: since 2009 the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, not individual employers, has held sponsorship oversight, and workers can change jobs without employer consent after an initial contract period. Since March 2024, private employers must make monthly end-of-service benefit contributions to the General Organization for Social Insurance, paid directly to workers at contract end. Roughly 100,000 Pakistanis are estimated resident; 25,198 workers registered in 2024.
References
BE&OE — Reports & Statistics · Walk Free — Saudi Arabia kafala reform, 2025 · UAE Government — Golden Visa · Human Rights Watch — Qatar labour reforms, 2020 · Bahrain Labour Market Regulatory Authority · Oman — Ministerial Decision 602/2025
This page is general information, not immigration advice, and not a substitute for advice on your specific situation. Gulf labour law, sponsorship rules and nationality-specific bans change without much notice — always confirm the current position with the relevant embassy or ministry and contact us before acting. ← Back to Emigration overview