Indian Women Migrant Workers in Middle East to Grow 71% by 2027

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 22 January 2025

• Indian Women Migrant Workforce to Surge from 3.5 M to 6 M by 2027
• MENA regions are Flourishing as Key Destination to Work
• UAE & Saudi Arabia promote Equal Pay and Gender Diversity

The number of Indian women migrant workers in the Middle East is expected to grow by over 71 per cent in the next two to three years, driven by opportunities in sectors like hospitality, construction, healthcare, and technology.

The region is promoting economic diversification and gender diversification and gender diversity, with countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia promoting equal pay for men and women in the private sector. Programs like "She's Next" and the Dubai Business Women's Council are empowering Indian women to establish and scale enterprises. The MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region is flourishing as a key destination with the Indian women migrant workforce to surge from 3.5 million to 6 million by 2027.

Indian women workers are increasingly sought in sectors like hospitality, healthcare, education, renewable energy, finance, and technology. The UAE's advanced medical facilities and growing expatriate population create new opportunities.

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is promoting gender diversity in leadership and STEM fields, with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aiming for 36 per cent female workforce participation. Additionally, women have surpassed the global average comprising 41 per cent of government university STEM graduates in UAE.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia are promoting wage equality, with Indian women expected to see salary hikes of up to 4.5 per cent in 2025. They are also boosting entrepreneurship, with nearly 50,000 business ventures valued at AED 60 billion, from support programs like "She's Next", Dubai Business Women Council, and Hub71.