KSA has 9.2 million expatriates, says study

There are 9.2 million expatriate workers in the Kingdom, with around 42 percent employed in both the public and private sectors, according to a new study.
About 86 percent of expatriate workers earn salaries of less than SR2,000 per month.
The study conducted by the International Al-Jazeera Academy said the private sector has provided more than 3 million jobs in the last five years, reducing the employment rate considerably among Saudis in the 25-54 age bracket.
The amnesty period is expected to increase job opportunities for Saudis while simultaneously reducing the number of illegal expatriates.
More than 200,000 illegal foreign workers have left the Kingdom under the Nitaqat nationalization program, while another 2 million qualified expatriate workers have not rectified their status but are available to take jobs.
“We cannot be certain that the amnesty will increase job opportunities for Saudis because many of them may refuse the jobs that were being taken on by expatriates. However, many private companies will hire Saudis because the Nitaqat program can help private firms recruit expatriates,” Dr. Yassin Al-Jefri, an economic expert, said while speaking with Arab News.
Saudi Arabia ranks fourth in having the largest number of foreign manpower worldwide, according to a study published by the Population Division of the United Nations.
The report pointed out that most foreign workers have been living outside their home countries for an extended period of time.
The United States ranked first as the most popular destination for expatriates, with 45.8 million foreigners, followed by Russia at 11 million, Germany at 9.8 million, Saudi Arabia at 9.1 million and the United Arab Emirates at 7.8 million.
According to the report, the number of international migrants to Asia has increased by 20 million since 2000.
The rapidly developing economies of the oil-producing countries of West and Southeast Asia, which include Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, have seen an upsurge in the demand for foreign labor.