According to a survey from February 2023, Oman ranked 18th out of 53 countries when it comes to personal finances. At the same time, Qatar ranked 46th worldwide in the same category for expatriates.

According to a survey in February 2022, the average age of expatriates living in Bahrain was about 44.2 years. During the same time, the average age of expatriates in the United Arab Emirates was 39.5 year.

According to the survey conducted in 2024, the leading motivation for expats to move abroad was that they had found a job on their own, for 15 percent of them. Recruited internationally and for a better quality of life were the following leading motivations.

According to the survey, as of February 2023, four out of the six countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council ranked amongst the top ** in the world for expatriate quality of life. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates topped the list for quality of life, whereas Saudi Arabia and Kuwait came last in the region. Quality of life; an amalgamation of many metrics Since quality of life is dependent on many indicators, it can give us a good insight into many aspects of state welfare policies and services. Saudi Arabia, where the number of foreign workers in the private sector topped *** million, also ranked as having one of the region's lowest quality of life for expatriates. Qatar, which had the second-highest quality of life for expatriates living in the GCC, was ranked as one of the most challenging countries in the region for ease of settling in. The UAE and Qatar, both of which ranked the highest in the survey, also have the highest average salaries and living standards in the region. Foreign workers are a key pillar of the GCC economy Countries in the GCC all have sizable expatriate populations for which their economies are heavily reliant. Roughly ********** of the workforce in the GCC is foreign. Although the share of foreign workers in the GCC has slightly decreased in recent years, they still considerably outweigh the local workforce. Most of these workers comprise the unskilled portion of the occupational category in the GCC. However, with diversifying investments and programs such as Vision 2030, countries have seen a rise in the number of skilled foreign workers.

According to a survey in February 2022, the share of male expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates was about ** percent. During the same time, the share of male expatriates in the United Arab Emirates was ** percent.

GCC Expatriate Data

This statistic displays the results of a survey about the cost of living ranking according to expatriates living in the Gulf Cooperation Council as of **********, by country. According to the report published by InterNations, Saudi Arabia ranked **** out of 68 countries when it comes to cost of living as of **********.

Three Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries ranked among the top twenty countries globally in terms of ease of settling in for expats. While Qatar ranked among the best countries for quality of life, it was ranked one of the hardest to settle into for expats, coming in at ** out of 53 countries worldwide. Likewise, Saudi Arabia was also near the bottom of the list, ranking just slightly above Qatar. Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia ranked among the highest in the world in working abroad experience for expats. The ranking was conducted among ** countries worldwide and is an aggregate of * factors. These factors include leisure options, travel and transit, healthcare, safety and security, and environment and climate. Leisure and tourism sector expansion in the GCC One of the key factors affecting expats’ ease of settling into a new country is the availability of leisure options. Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, which topped the list, have historically been attractive tourist destinations. This has prompted these countries to invest heavily in the tourism and leisure sector, something which is clearly reflected by the contribution of the tourism industry to GCC gross domestic product (GDP). Other countries in the region are also hoping to expand their tourism and leisure sector, such as Saudi Arabia, whose tourism industry is primarily centered around religious tourism. However, this focus could change as part of Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the country’s economy and wean off oil dependency by investing in diverse sectors, tourism, sports, and entertainment being key focus areas. Initiatives include investment in the Saudi Pro League, a football league with multiple clubs that have signed world-renowned players for historic contracts. Furthermore, there are initiatives focused on Riyadh festival, the Red Sea resort, and the NEOM megacity project.
Healthcare benefits for residents Healthcare is another key factor contributing to expats’ ease of settling in a foreign country. For many years, healthcare expenditure in the GCC has consistently grown. Residents can generally expect to receive high-quality healthcare. Health insurance is required for expats, but services may vary based on the type of coverage one has or whether one visits public or private health facilities. In addition to investing heavily in healthcare and health facilities, GCC countries have also been expanding into health education and research. Some institutions include Weill Cornell Medical College, which operates a campus in Qatar, the University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ), and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Bahrain, among others.

This statistic displays the results of a survey about the share of Indian expatriates living in the Gulf Cooperation Council as of March 2018, by country. According to the report published by InterNations, the share of Indian expatriates living in Oman was about ** percent as of March 2018.

Four countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) were among the top twenty in the global Working Abroad Index ranking. The top three, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, also have the biggest economies in the council and rank among the highest in the world in expatriate quality of life. The ranking was conducted among 53 countries worldwide and is an aggregate of four factors. These factors include career prospects, salary and job security, work and leisure, and work culture and satisfaction. Kuwait was near the bottom of the list, both among GCC countries and globally, ranking 48th. Dependency on foreign workforce The share of expatriate workers in the GCC outweighs that of local workers, making the region heavily reliant on foreign workers. A high portion of the expat workers in the GCC come from Asia and work in both skilled and unskilled professions. These foreign workers not only supplement the local economy, but also send billions of U.S. dollars back each year in remittances to their home countries. Additionally, many international companies, foreign universities, research institutions, as well as domestically grown tech startups are run by foreign nationals. Policy reforms for expat working conditions Recent initiatives and policy changes have been introduced in the council to improve working conditions for foreign workers. These include addressing long-standing gaps in worker rights through Saudi Arabia’s Workers Wage Protection System, following in the footsteps of the UAE and Qatar, which have similar systems in place. Additionally, some countries, like the UAE, have announced various new visa options, which are aimed at offering more flexibility to expatriates who want to live and settle in the country. An example of this is the Golden Visa, which is valid for periods of 10 years, or the recent rollout of a freelance visa for self-employed entrepreneurs similar to that offered by many European countries. On the other end, Saudi Arabia’s workforce localization initiatives have been taking steps to train their own citizens and encourage both men and women to play a more active role in the economy.

IntroductionInternational labor migrants form a significant part of the global workforce, particularly in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which host around 11% of the world’s migrant workforce. This high concentration presents unique challenges in healthcare access and delivery. This systematic review aims to evaluate whether international labor migrants in GCC countries have effective access to healthcare for work-related diseases and injuries and to propose evidence-based recommendations for policy and healthcare interventions.MethodsWe will include studies from 2013 to 2023 published in peer-reviewed journals in English or Arabic (with English abstracts) available on PubMed, Embase and CINAHL. Search strategies are developed using MeSH terms and key terms related to our study population (international labor immigrants), context (the GCC countries), and exposure (migrant status; work-related diseases and injuries). The screening process involves two stages: initial review of titles/abstracts and full-text review. Studies meeting eligibility criteria and focusing on our primary outcome (access to healthcare) will be included. Data extraction will cover study characteristics, population demographics, described exposures, outcomes measured, and key findings. Given the expected heterogeneity, narrative synthesis will be primarily used, with meta-analysis as an option.DiscussionBy considering both migrant workers and expatriate professionals, we provide a culturally tailored perspective. Methodological rigor is ensured through the gold standard screening process, where at least two reviewers independently screen the literature at each stage, with a senior reviewer resolving discrepancies. We will identify barriers, facilitators, and inform targeted interventions for policymakers. Our findings will support evidence-based strategies to improve healthcare access for international labor migrants in the GCC countries.Systematic review registrationThis systematic review protocol was registered on the international registry PROSPERO (CRD42024532851) on April 21, 2024.

The GCC K-12 Private Education Market size was valued at USD 40 Billion in the year 2024, and it is expected to reach USD 102.63 Billion in 2032, at a CAGR of 12% over the forecast period of 2026 to 2032.The growth of the expatriate community is propelling the GCC K-12 private education market, as foreign families seek high-quality international curriculum. This demand drives enrollment in private schools, resulting in increased investment in high-quality educational facilities and various learning activities. The GCC region has 18.5 million expats, accounting for 42% of private education demand. Since 2020, expatriate populations have grown by 7.3% per year, propelling premium international curriculum schools to an 11.6% enrollment increase in 2023.

In 2020, Saudi Arabia had the highest number of employed population among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries amounting to around 13 million. In comparison Bahrain had the least number of employed population among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in which 687 thousand were employed.

In the second quarter of 2020, the total number of expatriate workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries decreased to **** million compared to **** million in the previous quarter. This was a decrease of approximately *** percent during that period.

This statistic displays the results of a survey about the share of expatriates living in the Gulf Cooperation Council who are employees as of March 2018, by country. According to the report published by InterNations, the share of expatriates living in Kuwait, who who are employees was about ** percent as of March 2017.

The MENA health insurance market size reached USD XX million in 2023 and is expected to register a CAGR of 6.00% during the forecast period 2023-2033. The market growth is primarily driven by the increasing awareness of health insurance, the rising incidence of chronic diseases, and the growing disposable income in the region. The region is witnessing a significant shift towards private health insurance, fueled by the growing number of expatriates and the increasing demand for better healthcare services. The MENA health insurance market segments include type [personal insurance, corporate insurance], policy type [individual policy, group policy], and region [GCC, North Africa, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa]. The GCC region dominates the market, accounting for a significant share of the market revenue. The increasing adoption of mandatory health insurance schemes in the region is a key driver of market growth. North Africa is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period, owing to the rising healthcare awareness and the increasing disposable income levels. Recent developments include: October 2021: Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, ADQ, acquired the remaining 20 percent equity stake of The National Health Insurance Company (Daman) from Munich Re. ADQ said that acquiring the remaining stake will help Daman to further evolve in healthcare insurance and build on its operational excellence, innovative solutions, valuable products, and government partnerships., June 2021: ADNIC entered a partnership with Ajman Free Zone, which is home to more than 9,000 companies, investors, and entrepreneurs from over 160 countries. This partnership provides a health insurance scheme for registered investors and entities. This process enables ADNIC as a key touch point for all insurance-related services., February 2021: Health insurance company Cigna offered family health cover to expatriate employees in an international small- or medium-sized enterprise (SME) with comprehensive healthcare. This offer ensures the well-being of expatriates and their family members with access to high-quality healthcare from any location.. Notable trends are: Increasing Investments in the Egyptian Health Insurance System.

This statistic displays the results of a survey about the family life ranking according to expatriates living in the Gulf Cooperation Council as of **********, by country. According to the report published by InterNations, Bahrain ranked ******* out of 50 countries when it comes to family life as of **********.

In the second quarter of 2020, the number of expat male workers per 100 female workers was the highest in Saudi Arabia among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries at about *** workers compared to about *** workers in Kuwait. The total number of foreign and national workers in the second quarter of 2020 in the region was about **** million.