Data Reveals India as the Leading Source of Professionals Moving to MENA Jobs

Data tracking professional relocations into the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region indicates that half of the individuals who transitioned to a MENA-based job between November 2025 and October 2026 originated from India. The figures come from an analysis conducted by Sam Marchant in collaboration with Crustdata (YC F24), tracking 11,735 job moves from outside the region.

Relocation Breakdown by Country of Origin

The tracked data outlines the primary countries contributing to the talent inflow:

• India: 5,881 individuals
• United Kingdom: 1,171 individuals
• Pakistan: 901 individuals
• United States: 456 individuals

Destination Markets and Regional Distribution

The distribution of arriving professionals heavily favors the United Arab Emirates, while Saudi Arabia shows distinct recruitment corridors:

• UAE absorbed 70% of all tracked movers (8,195 total), with Dubai alone welcoming 5,265 professionals.
• Saudi Arabia received 1,775 professionals, drawing primarily from India (605) and Pakistan (498).
• Pakistan stands out as the primary source market where Saudi Arabia outpaces the UAE in incoming volume (498 movers to Saudi Arabia versus 241 to the UAE).

Seniority Levels Across Corridors

The data highlights a stark contrast in the seniority levels of arriving professionals based on their country of origin:

• Western markets tend to supply a higher proportion of senior leadership roles, with 27% of movers from the UK and 26% from the US landing at director level or above.
• In contrast, South Asian corridors supply higher volume but a smaller percentage of reported director-level entries: 6% for India and 5% for Pakistan.

Practical Implications and Verification

Observers note that these figures track individuals arriving from jobs abroad and do not account for talent already residing within the region or local workforce development. Professionals and businesses reviewing these trends should verify the original survey methodology directly through Sam Marchant or Crustdata to assess applicability to specific hiring strategies.