Country Resource - Saudi Arabia
- Population......................................................................28,571,770 (July 2017 est.)
- Population growth rate ..........................................................1.45% (2017 est.)
- Birth rate.......................................................18.3 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)
- Death rate.................................................3.4 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)
- Net migration rate................................-0.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)
- Ethnic groups..........................................Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
CIA World Factbook
Recent Activity
In 2016, nearly 1.2 million immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region lived in the United States. MENA immigration has picked up in recent decades, owing to war and worsening economic prospects. This article offers the latest data on the MENA population in the United States, which is more likely to come via humanitarian routes and less likely via family reunification than the foreign-born population overall.
Kenyan migration to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has been on the rise over the last few decades, spurred by rising unemployment and instability in Kenya combined with the GCC region's economic growth and proximity. While both sending and origin countries benefit economically from this new migration, it presents significant challenges for these governments, particularly in the area of labor rights, as this feature article explores.
As Qatar races to build its infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup, international civil-society actors increasingly are highlighting the harsh conditions under which temporary labor migrants often work in Qatar and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. This article examines the emerging roles, challenges, and opportunities that civil-society groups face in the region; it also analyzes the prevailing legal and political structures where civil society operates in the Gulf.
An ILO study of Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates highlights the special risks of domestic work for women. Gloria Moreno-Fontes Chammartin discusses the findings and implications.
MPI's Divya Pakkiasamy describes how "Saudiization" efforts are intended to reduce Saudi Arabia's dependence on foreign labor.
This issue brief examines Asian labor migration to the Middle East—a region distinguished by its major dependence on migrant workers, the overwhelming majority from Asia. The author focuses on the role of private recruiting agencies as key facilitators of temporary labor migration and perpetrators of exploitative practices.
