Southeast Asians In The Middle East: The Role Of Filipino Migrant Workers In The Saudi Arabian Economy

Abstract

Encouraging mass immigration is how many countries address labour shortage nowadays. Migrant workers make significant contributions to their native country’s gross national product, while also playing an important role in the host nation’s economy. A country of 117 million, the Philippines is one of the world’s largest exporters of human capital. Most Filipino migrant workers are employed in the Middle East, with the majority of them[1] finding work in Saudi Arabia. This study adopts an interdisciplinary approach to explore the main characteristics of the Saudi Arabian economy and the situation of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in the country. It seeks to support the hypothesis that Filipino workers have played an increasingly important role in the Saudi economy despite the coronavirus pandemic.