Workers’
Remittances from GCC Countries Record Highest Value Globally

Muscat,
4 Oct 2026 (ONA) —- Data from the report “Workers’ Remittances from the GCC
to the Outside 2025,” issued by the GCC Statistical Centre (GCC-Stat),
showed that the GCC countries combined recorded the highest value globally in
workers’ remittances sent abroad. The total reached approximately USD 161
billion, registering a growth of 13.6 percent compared to 2024, representing an
increase of about USD 19 billion.

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

The
report clarified that the total workers’ remittances from the GCC countries
rose for the second consecutive year, following the decline recorded in 2023,
reaching its highest level in 2025.

The
ratio of workers’ remittances to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the GCC
countries reached about 6.6 percent in 2025, compared to about 6 percent in
2024, 5.7 percent in 2023, and 5.6 percent in 2022.

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

The
global standing of the GCC countries is highlighted when comparing their total
outward remittances with the values of remittances recorded in a number of
major individual economies. According to the data contained in the report,
workers’ remittances sent from the United States of America reached about USD
107 billion, Switzerland about USD 43 billion, Germany about USD 27 billion,
and France about USD 21 billion.

These
remittances acquire an importance that goes beyond their direct financial
value, as they contribute to supporting household incomes, consumption, and
economic and social stability in the receiving countries. They also reflect the
regional economic weight of the GCC, its role in the movement of global
financial flows, and its connection to the global economy.

—Ends/AG