Thematic Area: Migration and Development
This paper serves as a background paper to the larger project on “Vision 2030 and the Socio-Economic Reform Process: The Future of Labour and Migration in Saudi Arabia”. The study aims to expand the understanding of drivers, policies and perceptions linked to migration to Saudi Arabia from South Asian countries of origin – which is a key region of origin to Saudi Arabia. The analysis aims to understand how the migration stakeholders in South Asian countries of origin (government agencies, business and political actors, human rights activists, etc.) perceive the institutional context and migratory environment in Saudi Arabia, and how their perceptions shape the development and implementation of labour migration as well as other policies and processes in these countries of origin. Additionally, the study would also examine how future changes in migration policies, and socio-political and economic dynamics in South Asian countries of origin influence labour migration to Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to forecast possible future trends and patterns of migration.
