The ongoing Middle East crisis has seen an unprecedented increase in the number of Pakistanis visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, while there has been a major decline in the number of migrants going to Saudi Arabia.
Sources have said that migration to the UAE has soared by more than 1,500 per cent in the last three months. In March 2026, this increase stood at 320 per cent, with 9,533 Pakistanis heading to the UAE as compared to 2,271 last year.
Similarly, there was a substantial increase in February as 14,035 Pakistanis travelled to the UAE, up by 692 per cent. Likewise, in January 2026, a 505 per cent increase was observed.
The count of Pakistanis moving to Qatar also rose by 110 per cent, with 17,687 people migrating to the country in the same three-month period. But there was a marginal decrease in March. There was also a marginal increase in travel to Kuwait, with 184 Pakistani nationals relocating to the country in the same period.
In contrast to other Gulf countries, the number of Pakistanis travelling to Saudi Arabia dropped by 57 per cent overall. In the first quarter of this year, over 57,500 Pakistanis went to Saudi Arabia, with 23,366 going in March alone.
GCC’s unified tourist visa plan
In other news, the Gulf Cooperation Council is moving towards inaugurating a Unified Tourist Visa with a view to revolutionise travel in the region.
The proposed visa would enable international travellers to visit six Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman – with one permit.
Officials say the initiative is a big step in promoting deeper regional cooperation and boosts tourism.
However, its launch, which is now anticipated in 2026, has delayed because of technical challenges in tying immigration systems, biometric databases and security protocols in the six nations together.
Also read: Good news for Pakistanis travelling abroad
