Manila: Almost 70,000 Filipino migrant workers have chosen Saudi Arabia as their destination this year, according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., making the Kingdom the most popular location for new Filipino immigrants.

With an increase of about 62 percent in 2022, when Filipino migrant workers made a $32.5 billion economic contribution to the nation, the Philippines is seeing an increase in overseas deployment.

About a third of newly hired workers who left the country in 2023 chose Saudi Arabia, maintaining the country's long-standing position as the most well-liked destination for overseas Filipino workers, or OFWs.

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At his second state of the nation address in Manila, Marcos declared that 70,000 of his country's overseas Filipino workers had already been sent to Saudi Arabia for employment.

Data from the Department of Migrant Workers provided to Arab News showed that up until May of this year, more than 67,000 newly hired employees were deployed to Saudi Arabia. Hong Kong and the UAE followed with about 16,000 and 13,000 OFWs, respectively.

Following the lifting of the Saudi Arabian labour deployment embargo in November, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pledged to pay thousands of unpaid Filipino labourers during a meeting with Marcos.

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's deployment issue has now been resolved. Additionally, 14,000 OFWs who lost their jobs in Saudi Arabia due to the pandemic are now having their unpaid wages and other related claims processed.

"The crown prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia himself personally committed to me that the unpaid claims of Filipino workers would now be paid," Marcos continued.

According to the Philippine Employment Agencies & Associates for Corporate Employers in the Middle East, demand for Filipino migrant workers has increased as a result of Saudi Arabia's plan to diversify its economy by 2030.

According to PEACEME President Arnold Mamaclay in a phone interview with Arab News, "there is really a lot of demand for skilled and domestic workers and professionals because of the Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabia."

He continued, without going into further detail, "The number is expected to balloon because there is what we call a special hiring programme of the Department of Migrant Workers."

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Another factor, according to Mamaclay, is Saudi Arabia's quick administration, where procedures can take between 30 and 45 days as opposed to three to four months in other nations.

In light of recent events, Saudi Arabia is now a very friendly nation towards the Philippines, he declared. We have received excellent service from them.