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Workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries sent about $161 billion abroad in 2025, a record and 13.6% more than in 2024, according to GCC-Stat’s report on outward workers’ remittances, published in early October 2026. The increase was about $19 billion, the second consecutive year of growth after a fall in 2023.
Key Takeaways
Workers in GCC countries sent a record $161 billion abroad in 2025, up 13.6% or about $19 billion from 2024, according to the GCC Statistical Centre (GCC-Stat). The bloc is the world’s largest source of outward worker remittances.
The UAE was the largest source at $62.1 billion, up 6.3%, about 39% of the total. Saudi Arabia sent $58 billion, up 26.9%, and supplied about $12.3 billion of the $19 billion increase.
Remittances equalled 6.6% of the GCC’s combined GDP in 2025, up from 6.0% in 2024.
The UAE leads, Saudi Arabia is catching up
The UAE remained the largest source of outward worker remittances in the GCC at $62.1 billion, up 6.3% on 2024 and about 39% of the regional total. Saudi Arabia followed at $58 billion, up 26.9%, the fastest growth in the bloc, and accounted for about $12.3 billion of the $19 billion increase. Together the two countries sent about $120 billion, nearly three-quarters of the total.
The other four members were smaller. Kuwait sent about $16.7 billion, up 18.2%, Qatar about $11.9 billion, up 4.7%, and Oman about $9.5 billion, up 2.7%. Bahrain was the only member to record a decline, down 4.3% to about $2.5 billion.
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How the GCC compares
GCC remittances were far larger than those of the next countries in the comparison GCC-Stat cites: the United States at about $107 billion, Switzerland at $43 billion, Germany at $27 billion and France at $21 billion. They have risen from about $110 billion in 2020, and from 6.0% of combined GDP in 2024 to 6.6% in 2025. GCC-Stat attributes the growth to the region continuing to attract expatriate workers as infrastructure, services, industry and non-oil sectors expand.
The report is based on worker-remittance data in the balance of payments reported by GCC central banks, alongside the International Monetary Fund’s database. The coverage read for this piece doesn’t break the totals down by destination country or by the channel used, whether a bank, an exchange house or an app.
What’s next
The headline figures don’t show how much of the $62.1 billion left the UAE through digital channels, or which corridors it travelled. The UAE’s central bank has signed agreements with India (2023 and 2024), the Philippines (April 2026) and Morocco (October 2026) to explore linking payment systems, none of which is reported as live for remittances. A GCC-Stat figure on channel or corridor split would show where that infrastructure matters most.
FAQs
What are outward worker remittances?
Money that foreign workers living in a country send home or abroad. For the GCC, where expatriates make up a large share of the workforce, it is the main route by which wages leave the region.
Which GCC country sends the most remittances?
The UAE, at $62.1 billion in 2025, about 39% of the GCC total. Saudi Arabia was second at $58 billion.
How fast are GCC remittances growing?
They rose 13.6% in 2025 to $161 billion, from about $142 billion in 2024 and about $110 billion in 2020. Saudi Arabia grew fastest at 26.9%, the UAE by 6.3%.
Where does the data come from?
The GCC Statistical Centre, using worker-remittance data in the balance of payments reported by GCC central banks and the IMF’s database.
Editor’s Take: The UAE is still the biggest sender at $62.1 billion, yet it grew 6.3% against Saudi Arabia’s 26.9%, and Saudi Arabia supplied about two-thirds of the region’s $19 billion increase. The strongest part of the data is its basis: central-bank balance-of-payments figures compiled by GCC-Stat alongside the IMF database, which gives the headline total and country ranking an official footing.