GCC worker remittances hit record $161 billion in 2025

The data of the report "Employee Remittances in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) 2025" issued by the Statistical Center of the Gulf States (GCC) showed that the GCC countries collectively recorded the highest value in the world in remittances of workers sent abroad, with a total of about 161 billion US dollars, recording a growth of 13.6% compared to 2024, with an increase of about 19 billion US dollars.

This increase comes in light of the continued attraction of expatriate labor, in parallel with the expansion of economic activities related to infrastructure projects, services, industry and non-oil sectors.

The report indicated that the total remittances of workers from the GCC countries increased for the second year in a row, after the decline recorded in 2023, to reach its highest level in 2025.

The ratio of workers' remittances to GDP in the GCC countries reached about 6.6% in 2025, compared to about 6.0% in 2024, 5.7% in 2023, and 5.6% in 2022.

This ratio reflects the relative weight of workers' remittances compared to the size of the GCC economies, and does not in itself indicate an improvement or decline in economic performance.

The global position of the GCC countries stands out when comparing their total outgoing remittances with the values of remittances recorded in a number of major economies alone, as remittances from the United States of America amounted to about $107 billion, Switzerland about $43 billion, Germany about $27 billion, and France about $21 billion, according to the data contained in the report.

These remittances are important beyond their direct financial value, as they contribute to supporting household incomes, consumption, economic and social stability in the receiving countries, as well as reflecting the regional economic weight of the GCC and its role in the movement of global financial flows and its link to the global economy.

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