Recent labor inspections have significantly affected expat remittances to Yemen since many of these foreign workers have stopped working pending the legalization of their status.

Many Yemenis complain of not being able to send money home despite difficult living circumstances in the country.

Several Yemenis take on menial jobs in the Kingdom, while most chose not to transfer their sponsorships onto their employers during the grace period.

Many of these expats now stay at home to avoid deportation.

“Our families depend on our monthly remittances to manage their living costs,” one Yemeni worker told Arab News. “Local labor market conditions keep changing constantly and we have to find other solutions to be able to continue working.”

Yemenis used to remit an estimated SR1 million monthly. This figure has come down by at least 10 percent over the past three months, according to workers at exchange offices.

“Most Yemeni electricians used to send home anywhere from SR500 to SR1,000 a month,” Abdul Fatah Al-Adni, a supervisor at an exchange office in downtown Jeddah, told Arab News. “I have noticed that the number of clients from this sector has since gone down.”

“Living conditions in Yemen are going from bad to worse,” Ismael Abu Taleb, a Yemeni resident, said.

“Yemen is one of the poorest Arab countries that depends largely on expat remittances, especially from Saudi Arabia,” Abdul Aziz Al-Badran, a banking expert, said. “The country has lost more than SR2 billion as a result of the departure of many Yemenis.”

Yemen used to receive about $30 billion from the Kingdom annually and 374 million dirhams from Yemeni workers in the United Arab Emirates, he added.

“I used to work at a car workshops in Jeddah, but have stopped since labor inspectors routinely visit these workshops,” Ahmed Abdul Hadi, a Yemeni resident, said. “I will either transfer my sponsorship onto my employer or find another job.”