Foreign Workforce in Private Sector Nears 506,000

The Ministry of Labour has revealed that the number of foreign workers employed in the private sector has reached 505,998, all holding valid work permits, according to the latest official data. The figures were disclosed in a written response to a parliamentary question submitted by MP Mohammed Al Rifaee, shedding light on the structure and scale of expatriate labour in the Kingdom.

The response forms part of ongoing parliamentary scrutiny of the labour market and its long term balance. Lawmakers have increasingly focused on workforce composition, job titles and sectoral dependence as part of broader discussions on employment policy and economic sustainability.

The ministry confirmed that the commercial sector alone uses 2,582 different job titles for foreign workers, reflecting the breadth of activities and roles within the private economy. In contrast, the domestic labour sector is limited to just 13 approved job titles, underscoring the narrow and specific nature of employment within that category.

According to the data, trade activities including wholesale and retail trade as well as motor vehicle and motorcycle repair employ the largest number of foreign workers, totalling 124,503. This places the sector at the top of the list in terms of expatriate workforce concentration.

Construction ranks second, with 118,666 foreign workers employed across projects nationwide. The figures highlight the sector’s continued reliance on expatriate labour to sustain development, housing and infrastructure activity.

Accommodation and food services employ 63,881 foreign workers, while manufacturing accounts for 54,022. Administrative and support service activities employ 40,104 workers, and professional, scientific and technical activities account for 26,441 expatriates.

Personal services and repair activities employ 18,101 foreign workers, while transport and storage account for 17,815. Real estate activities employ 9,199 workers, with education employing 7,573. Financial and insurance activities account for 6,413 workers, followed closely by information and communications with 6,302.

Smaller numbers were recorded in health and social work activities with 3,684 workers, water supply and waste management with 3,428, agriculture and fishing with 3,038, mining and quarrying with 1,507, and arts and entertainment with 1,170. The ministry also revealed that 152,106 foreign workers have remained with the same employer for more than five years in the commercial sector, indicating a notable level of