Latest News

The population of the six Gulf Cooperation Countries, almost 39 million in 2008, included 23 million natives and 16 million foreigners (41 percent). The foreign share of the population ranged from a low of 30 percent in Oman and Saudi Arabia to over 80 percent in Qatar and UAE.

The labor force of the six GCC countries was estimated at 16.5 million in 2008, including a third citizens and two-thirds foreigners. Saudi Arabia has half of the labor force in the GCC, some 8.5 million workers, and half of the workers in Saudi Arabia are foreigners. Qatar has about 1.3 million workers, including 1.2 million or 95 percent foreigners.