COVID-19 Global Roundup: Expatriate exodus in Gulf countries

Hundreds of thousands expatriate workers from Gulf states are bearing the brunt of job losses and millions fear being stuck in a virus limbo as host countries lock down, employers withhold wages or mull redundancies and strict coronavirus containment measures are enforced.

Experts say Gulf countries will see a large outflow of expatriate workers as a result of the economic shock delivered by the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), the expatriate exodus is expected to be larger than after the 2008-2009 financial crisis and the 2014-2015 plunge in prices for oil. The official data of Oman show the number of expatriates dropped by over 340,000 in 2010, following the 2008-2009 crisis.