Gulf jobs for migrant workers: Record remittance inflows may be masking a coming collapse

Experts at a Lahore conference warned that strong remittance receipts could conceal a sharp future decline in Gulf employment for migrant workers. Business Recorder reported that the two-day event concluded on Wednesday at the Lahore School of Economics and was organised by the Centre on International Migration, Remittances and Diaspora.

Speakers said conflict and artificial intelligence are changing Gulf demand, with workers increasingly selected according to their skills and occupations. Pakistan Institute of Development Economics researcher Dr Nasir Iqbal said these shifts could touch seven in ten jobs traditionally taken by migrants, while other speakers described shrinking prospects for lower-skilled workers across several regions. The discussion also covered irregular migration, tighter border controls and risks including trafficking.