ISLAMABAD, Jun 28: Pakistan has set a target of deploying one million workers to Saudi Arabia by 2030 under a long-term workforce development strategy aimed at strengthening labour mobility, human capital development and economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to official documents available with Wealth Pakistan, the target forms part of the Human Resource Deployment Plan (2025-2039) developed under the Saudi-Pakistan Economic Cooperation Framework (SPECF), which institutionalizes labour cooperation between the two countries in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
The plan envisages increasing annual overseas deployments to 1.51 million workers by 2039 through a structured pipeline of skilled, semi-skilled and highly qualified manpower. The targeted sectors include construction, hospitality and tourism, healthcare, information technology, logistics, aviation and infrastructure development.
Saudi Arabia continues to be the leading destination for Pakistani workers. According to the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BE&OE), 762,499 Pakistani workers were registered for overseas employment during 2025, of whom 530,256, or 69.54%, moved to Saudi Arabia. More than 96% of Pakistani workers proceeding abroad through official channels were employed in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The documents note that Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 has significantly expanded employment opportunities in the infrastructure, construction and services sectors, helping the Kingdom retain its position as the largest overseas labour market for Pakistani workers.
To support the growing demand for skilled manpower, Pakistan’s workforce development strategy is aligned with major Saudi mega and giga projects. The country plans to strengthen training programmes in construction, hospitality, healthcare, ICT and engineering to ensure a steady supply of qualified workers for the Saudi market.
The framework also envisages a series of policy and institutional reforms, including Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs), qualification alignment initiatives involving NAVTTC and Saudi training institutions, digital labour market integration and employer-linked recruitment models.
According to the documents, Pakistan has proposed a US$3.8 billion investment framework for Saudi participation, comprising US$2.7 billion for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and US$1 billion for higher education. The proposal aims to establish demand-driven training infrastructure, skill cities and joint educational institutions to prepare workers for emerging labour market requirements.
The documents highlight early progress under the initiative, including more than 70 memorandums of understanding and letters of intent signed during 2024-25, the deployment of over 4,700 workers following the Human Resources and Labour Services Expo, and strengthened cooperation with Saudi institutions, including Takamol, Musaned and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC).
In addition to supporting labour exports to Saudi Arabia, Pakistan is aligning workforce planning with future international opportunities, including preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2034. The strategy targets the training and deployment of 300,000 to 400,000 workers between 2026 and 2034 for the infrastructure, aviation, tourism and related services sectors.
According to the documents, the initiative is expected to facilitate a gradual shift towards higher-skilled and higher-remittance overseas employment while strengthening Pakistan’s position as a preferred workforce partner for Saudi Arabia.
