Over 172,000 Pakistanis traveled abroad for employment during the first three months of 2025, according to data released by the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE).
The BEOE’s figures show Saudi Arabia as the leading destination for Pakistanis seeking work overseas, with 121,970 Pakistanis traveling to the Gulf kingdom. Other Gulf countries also featured prominently, with 12,989 Pakistanis traveling to Qatar; 8,331 to Oman; and 6,891 to the United Arab Emirates.
Additionally, 939 Pakistanis sought employment in Bahrain; 775 in Malaysia; 592 in China; 350 in Azerbaijan; 264 in Germany; 815 in Greece; 870 in Turkiye; 109 in Italy; 108 in Japan; 1,454 in the United Kingdom; and 257 in the United States.
According to the BEOE’s report, 1,479 engineers, 849 doctors, 390 nurses, and 3,474 technicians were among the skilled workers who sought employment abroad. Additionally, 1,689 chefs; 1,058 welders; 2,130 electricians; and 436 teachers also proceeded overseas.
Among unskilled and semi-skilled workers, 38,274 drivers and 1,859 masons traveled abroad.
In total, 4,687 highly qualified; 3,702 highly skilled; 54,481 skilled; 9,800 semi-skilled; and 99,474 unskilled workers traveled abroad from January through March 2025.
Regionally, 2,010 residents of the federal capital; 90,084 of Punjab; 13,374 of Sindh; 49,675 of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa; 1,174 of Balochistan; and 6,850 of Azad Kashmir proceeded abroad for employment in the first three months of 2025.