By Raza Ruman
The Pakistani media has been quoting a wrong statistics of “Three Million Pakistanis” living in Saudi Arabia since the Yemen conflict made headlines in the world.
In fact not a single ‘investigative anchor or journalist’ tried to find out the exact number of Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia. Instead some of them have been clamouring that if Pakistan does not join the Saudi Arabia against its invasion of Yemen, three million Pakistanis would be sent home. The anchors must correct their facts now.
Saudi Gazette Report
According to the Saudi Gazette Report, 85 percent expatriates are from eight countries. “Eight nationalities make up 85.6 percent of the total number of expatriates in Saudi Arabia”.
The number of expatriates in Saudi Arabia at 9.06 million people in 2013. It said Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis account for the largest number compared to other nationalities of the world. Egyptians, Yemenis and Sudanese nationals formed the largest number among their Arab counterparts.
The report said Indian nationals form 19.4 percent, Pakistanis 14.5, Bangladeshis 14.4, Egypt 14.3, The Philippines 11.3, Yemen 5.07, Indonesia 4.19, Sudan 2.5, and other nationalities form 15 percent of the expatriate population.
The report also gave the number of expatriates from each country: They are: India 1.76 million; Pakistan 1.32 million; Bangladesh 1.31 million; The Philippines 1.03 million; Sri Lanka 150,000; Indonesia 380,000; Yemen 460,000; Somalia 30,000; Afghanistan 20,000; Nepal 20,000; Thailand 20,000; Kuwait 130,000; Syria 140,000; Jordan 170,000; Palestine 120,000; Turkey 100,000; Lebanon 60,000; Britain 30,000; Sudan 230,000; South Sudan 30,000; Egypt 1,300,000; Ethiopia 30,000; Eritrea 40,000; Nigeria 10,000; Morocco 20,000; Chad 10,000; Tunisia 10,000 and United States 40,000. Less than 1,000 expatriates are from the rest of the world, the report said.