400,000 Pakistani workers to be trained for 2034 FIFA WC projects in Saudi Arabia

Pakistan is planning to train and deploy between 300,000 and 400,000 workers for projects linked to the FIFA World Cup 2034, which Saudi Arabia will host, as part of a broader push to expand overseas employment and strengthen the country’s position in global labour markets.

According to official documents, workforce planning is being aligned with anticipated demand from the tournament, with trained Pakistani workers expected to support infrastructure development, aviation, tourism and related service sectors between 2026 and 2034.

The initiative sits within the government’s wider effort to boost manpower exports and improve the skills profile of Pakistani workers heading abroad.

During July to March of FY2025-26, a total of 215,719 workers received soft-skills training aimed at improving adaptability, productivity and global employability.

Saudi Arabia already dominates Pakistan’s overseas employment landscape. In 2025, the Kingdom received 530,256 Pakistani workers, accounting for 69.54 per cent of total overseas employment registrations for the year.

Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme has expanded opportunities across infrastructure, construction and services, driving growing demand for skilled manpower.

The Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment registered 762,499 workers for overseas employment in 2025 alone. Since 1972, more than 15 million Pakistanis have gone abroad for work through official channels across more than 50 countries, with over 96 per cent of them heading to Gulf Cooperation Council countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Pakistan is also expanding labour partnerships beyond the Gulf. Under the Pakistan-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue, Italy has announced a quota of 10,500 seasonal and non-seasonal workers for Pakistan over three years, while Germany and Greece are moving toward formalising labour cooperation arrangements focused on skilled workers.

On the domestic side, the government is modernising the emigration process through digital reforms.

The Pakistan Emigrant Management Framework is under development to connect 14 relevant stakeholders and streamline overseas employment procedures, while the Digital HR Pool system has been operationalised to integrate biometric verification, job matching and transparent recruitment mechanisms.