Why Gulf Countries Prefer Indian Workers Over Pakistanis

Impact of a Declining Pakistani Workforce on Indian  Remittances and Employment

The Importance of the Indian Workforce and Remittances

We are going to talk about a very important topic that could significantly impact the Indian workforce and the remittances coming into India. Here, you can see the article "Gulf Now." When I say Gulf, we are talking about the countries west of India. In these Gulf countries, you'll find the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman, where most Indians go to work. We call these countries the Gulf, but don't count Yemen, as the situation there is very bad.

Decline in Pakistani Labor Acceptance in Gulf Countries

Recently, a Pakistani report openly stated that Gulf countries do not want Pakistani laborers. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and several other Gulf countries complain that Pakistani workers turn into beggars and criminals there. An interesting fact is that out of the crimes committed by foreign laborers in Gulf countries, 50% are committed by Pakistanis alone. Because of this, Gulf countries are slowly reducing the intake of Pakistani workers and focusing more on Indians and, to some extent, even Bangladeshis.

Media and Government Reports on Workforce Standards

Again, I must emphasize that this information is not from Indian media but was first published by Pakistani media. Their government report stated that Pakistani workers are not being accepted abroad. You can see here, "Gulf Employers Not Hiring Pakistanis Due to Deplorable Standards." It is openly mentioned that Pakistani men have been acting inappropriately in Kuwait, and laborers have refused to wear helmets in Qatar.

Direct Impact on India

What will the impact be on India? It will have a very direct impact. Pakistan's population is not small, with 220 million people. At one time, the relations between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other Gulf countries were so good that there was an understanding to solve Pakistan's employment problem by bringing many workers from Pakistan to Gulf countries. They could earn good salaries, which would be sent back to Pakistan as remittances. Remittances are the money sent back home by workers who go abroad to work.

Increasing Demand for the Indian Workforce

Since the GCC countries are openly saying they have problems with the Pakistani workforce, their nurses and laborers may demand more money in the future. Let me tell you, the demand for the Indian workforce is continuously increasing, whether in GCC countries, Israel, European countries, or anywhere else in the world. In some African countries, the governments are so unstable that you can't trust passports or document verification. There's also a language issue. Indian workers are considered ideal for work because they are less involved in crime and focus on their tasks.

Savings and Family Values Among Indian Workers

One thing foreign countries don't like about Indian workers is that they save money and send it back to their families instead of spending it in the host country. The family values in rural and even a large part of urban India are still very strong. The primary thought of a person working abroad is to earn money quickly, spend as little as possible on themselves, and send the rest back home to their parents and siblings.

India as the Top Recipient of Remittances

This is evident from the numbers. India is the world's number-one recipient of remittances. India received $100 billion in remittances in 2023. This is not just because Indians are working abroad; it's also due to the discipline and cultural values of Indian workers who save and send money back home. If Indian workers were replaced by others and India had a different culture, our workers might have spent the money they earned abroad. But there's a discipline among Indian workers, which is the main difference between Indian and Pakistani workers. Indian workers are productive, disciplined, and less involved in crime, while Pakistani workers are the complete opposite.                                             

 Future Training and Adjustments for Pakistani Workers

Recently, during a discussion of a report by the Pakistani Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, Dr. Arshad, the Secretary of Overseas Pakistanis, informed the committee that Pakistan would face heavy losses in the future as remittances are already stagnant and might fall. GCC countries are not accepting Pakistani workers. As a solution, he suggested that Pakistani workers should be given civic sense training in Pakistan itself. They need to understand how to behave abroad, not to make unnecessary videos of women, and to properly do the work they agreed to. They must follow the safety standards of the host country, like wearing helmets and uniforms, to ensure that their contractor is not liable. Pakistan's government will try to train its laborers in these aspects, which will obviously take many years.

Potential Future Benefits for India

In the future, it won't be surprising if there is another spike in remittances coming into India, perhaps in 2026 or 2027. This invisible blunder by Pakistan, which they themselves revealed to the world, will somehow benefit Indians.