Saudi Firms Told to Hire More Pakistani Workers
Saudi Arabia is encouraging companies in the Kingdom to hire more Pakistani workers, according to the chairman of a Pakistani overseas recruitment firm. Issam Baig, chairman of Jan Mohammad and Sons, said executives of several major Saudi companies told him during recent visits to Riyadh and Jeddah that Saudi authorities had asked them to take on more Pakistanis.
Baig told Arab News that the companies said they had been told and pushed by Riyadh and their ministries to accommodate more Pakistanis. He said three to four major Saudi companies had conveyed the same message, and called it a positive sign for bilateral ties and for job seekers in Pakistan.
He added a warning alongside the good news. He said Pakistan must send skilled workers to keep that trust, and put it plainly: Pakistan should uphold that trust by sending quality manpower.
Pakistani workers in Saudi Arabia: the numbers behind the push
Saudi Arabia remains the top destination for Pakistani workers. Data from the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE and OE) shows that more than 1.21 million of the 1.87 million Pakistanis who registered for jobs abroad between January 2024 and September 2026 went to the Kingdom. That is nearly 65 per cent of all registered overseas workers in that period.
Registrations for Saudi Arabia rose from 426,951 in 2023 to 452,648 in 2024 and 530,437 in 2025. In the first nine months of 2026, a further 258,178 workers registered. The trend shows steady growth, with 2025 already the strongest year in the series, and 2026 on course for another large total even before the final quarter is counted.
A senior BE and OE official said the government is studying developments in the Middle East to understand recent employment trends and prepare future projections. That caution matters, because the region is also the centre of the current Iran crisis, and any widening of that conflict could affect labour demand, travel and remittance flows.
Why the Saudi push matters for Pakistan’s economy
Gulf countries employ millions of Pakistanis and are a major source of foreign currency. Pakistan received a record 41.6 billion dollars in remittances in FY26, according to ProPakistani, and Saudi Arabia is the largest single source within that flow. Every additional worker placed in the Kingdom therefore supports household incomes at home and foreign exchange reserves at the same time.
The push also fits a wider warming in Pakistan-Saudi economic ties. The two countries have discussed early signing and implementation of the Pakistan-Gulf Cooperation Council Free Trade Agreement, as Feature Pakistan reported in Pakistan Pushes Early GCC Free Trade Agreement. A separate Pakistan offer of tax-free oil storage for Saudi Arabia was covered in Pakistan Offers Saudi Arabia Tax-Free Oil Storage.
For job seekers, the practical question is what kind of workers Saudi firms want. Baig’s emphasis on skilled workers suggests the opening is not only for unskilled labour, but for trained staff who can meet Saudi standards. That puts the burden back on Pakistan’s training system, because a worker who arrives unprepared risks not only his own job but the reputation that opened the door.
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Frequently asked questions
Who said Saudi firms were told to hire more Pakistanis?
Issam Baig, chairman of recruitment firm Jan Mohammad and Sons, said executives of several major Saudi companies told him during visits to Riyadh and Jeddah that Saudi authorities had asked them to take on more Pakistanis.
How many Pakistanis registered for Saudi jobs recently?
More than 1.21 million of the 1.87 million Pakistanis who registered for jobs abroad between January 2024 and September 2026 went to Saudi Arabia, nearly 65 per cent of the total.
How have Saudi registrations changed year by year?
Registrations rose from 426,951 in 2023 to 452,648 in 2024 and 530,437 in 2025, with 258,178 more in the first nine months of 2026.
Why do remittances matter in this story?
Pakistan received a record 41.6 billion dollars in remittances in FY26, and Gulf employment is a major source of that foreign currency, so more placements support household incomes and reserves.
Has a new Saudi job quota been announced?
No. No quota, occupation list or application window was announced in the reports so far, so job seekers should use the formal BE and OE and licensed promoter route and be wary of agents promising guaranteed jobs.
