Over 120,000 Ugandan workers departed the country in pursuit of job opportunities between January 2022 and December 2023, with the Middle East being a preferred destination, particularly Saudi Arabia.
Data from the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development reveals that 77.5% of these migrant workers were women, indicating a significant gender disparity in labor migration.
Saudi Arabia attracted the majority of Ugandan workers, followed by Qatar, with smaller numbers heading to the United Arab Emirates, Somalia, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain.
The delay in renewing the bilateral labor agreement with Saudi Arabia in 2022 resulted in a notable decline in migrant workers during 2023, according to labor officials.
While the report mainly focuses on labor migration to the Middle East, it does not capture the increasing number of Ugandans seeking employment in countries like Canada, the US, UK, and Europe.
Labor externalization serves as a vital source of employment and foreign exchange for Uganda, alleviating pressure from high youth unemployment rates. However, it remains unclear whether these workers are primarily educated youth, as reports suggest.
The majority of Ugandan migrant workers are employed in casual positions such as housemaids, cleaners, security guards, drivers, and wait staff, indicating the prevalence of low-skilled jobs among labor migrants.
Although the report highlights the occupations held by Ugandan workers abroad, it does not provide specific figures on the current number of workers stationed in the Middle East.
