RIYADH: Remittances from Kenyan workers in Saudi Arabia rose $117 million in 2022, an annual increase of 63 percent as Nairobi seeks a bilateral professionals framework deal with Riyadh.
The Kenyan central bank announced that the Kingdom has become the fastest-growing source of wages into Kenya, with money being sent from Saudi Arabia hitting $302 million.
Estimates indicate about 200,000 Kenyans have secured employment in the Kingdom with 60 percent as professionals in sectors like healthcare, ICT, and construction, Business Daily Africa reported.
Diaspora remittances from Saudi Arabia have been growing at the fastest pace among the major source countries in the aftermath of the pandemic shocks that left thousands jobless as Kenyan firms showed caution when it came to growing their workforce.
In November, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Alfer Mutua, visited Riyadh and said he already initiated preliminary talks aimed to develop the recruitment framework.
He added that, upon his visit, he found the majority of Kenyan migrant workers in the Kingdom are living a decent livelihood.
“There are many opportunities. One of the things we have been debating on is that we don’t want a lot of Kenyans to go there as domestic workers. We have got a lot of people who have finished university in Kenya who can work in the ICT and the motor industry,” Mutua said.
He added that the agreement between the two countries will facilitate more workers to be allowed into the Kingdom.
