Bridging ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council: Why People-to-People Connectivity Matters
“According to an estimate, the total workforce across the six GCC countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — stood at around 32 million in 2022. Gulf nationals account for 5.8 million, or 18 per cent of this figure, with foreign workers accounting for over 26 million. While comprehensive and up-to-date data on the total number of ASEAN citizens working in the GCC is limited, available figures serve as important reference points, highlighting the GCC’s significance as a destination for ASEAN labour migrants and a key source of remittances.”
“Religious devotion also plays a part in people-to-people connectivity. The annual hajj pilgrimage and umrah to Mecca in Saudi Arabia are a powerful conduit for deepening people-to-people ties between Southeast Asia and the GCC. Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, was allocated a hajj quota of 221,000 in 2025, underscoring its central role in the global Islamic community. Malaysia, too, maintains a strong presence, supported by long-standing government subsidy schemes that help lower- and middle-income citizens undertake the pilgrimage.”‘
Source: Fulcrum