UAE top destination for Indians

Number of jobseekers coming to Gulf from the country drops 50% since 2015

The UAE has emerged as the most preferred destination for Indians seeking jobs in the Arabian Gulf region, Indian media reports said quoting official figures yesterday.

The total number of Indians seeking employment in the region, however, has fallen 50 per cent since 2015, it said.

In 2017, around 150,000 Indians arrived in the UAE, Times of India reported, quoting emigration figures issued by the Indian government. More than 374,000 Indians came to the Gulf region last year, a drop from 2015 when around 760,000 Indians sought employment in the region, the report said, noting a “steady decline”.

During the same period, around 78,000 Indians went to Saudi Arabia, 56,380 to Kuwait and a little over 53,000 to Oman. The report, however, said more white collar workers are showing interest in seeking job opportunities.

“While blue-collar Indian workers, such as labourers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers and drivers, dominated the labour scene in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) till now, industry watchers say there is now a gradual shift, with more white-collar workers from India also showing interest in the Gulf,” the report added.

Last month the UAE Cabinet abolished mandatory bank guarantees for labour recruitment and replaced them with a low-cost insurance system and announced a new six-month visa for job seekers to attract professionals.