Women Leading Remittances From Gulf Region

More expats than natives live in Dubai because professionals from around the world covet the region’s lavish lifestyle, warm weather and high wages.

This is the case for many migrants who go to the Gulf region better pay and opportunity. The flow of immigration has vastly increased overtime, and many workers from less prosperous economies have flocked to the affluent Gulf countries. A rise in remittances coming from this region has grown consistently in recent years, as migrant workers send money home to support family members left behind. History and culture have conditioned many to believe that men are commonly the breadwinners in a family, and are relied on for financial support. But in the case of remittances from the Gulf, it is the women who dominate. 

Migrant workers in the Gulf, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E., send over $50 billion in remittances each year, according to the New York Times. Remittances have soared with more than a 100 percent growth each year for the past decade. The flow of remittances coming from the Gulf represents one of the largest in the world: only second to the United States. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the U.A.E. were reported to have the highest outflow of remittances each year. 

This impressive market growth is indicative of the large percentage of migrant workers living in the region. The flow of money has remained consistent in the last years, but there has been some change in remittance trend.

One of the most significant changes is the number of women who are leaving home to support their families. Historically, countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region recruited less fortunate male workers from Egypt and Syria for labor-related duties. However, much has changed since the 1990s. Over time, it is the women who have slowly taken over the labor roles in the market. Many of the women travelled from the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh to take on roles such as in-house maids, food servers and other low paid jobs.

The New York Times cited Dubai Remittance Survey data that reported female workers in the country sent 16,473 dirhams back home in 2008. This accounted for nearly 2,000 dirhams more than male migrant workers were sending back to families.

These women, who are typically mothers, often send most, if not all of their paychecks back to children to help pay for school and food. The money they send back home is directly used to help raise loved ones, but remittances make a positive impact for the economy they enter as well. Moreover, more children, especially women, as the article reports, are attending universities in emerging markets. 

Migrant workers are given better opportunities abroad to provide a life for ones at home. The sacrifice often comes at a high price, but one many women in the Gulf are happy to do.

To read the full story at The New York Times click here