KUWAIT CITY, Aug 19: During the first half of 2024, remittances from Filipino workers in Kuwait saw a 2.3% decline, totaling $267.22 million. This marks a decrease from the $273.51 million recorded during the same period in 2023.

Data shows that remittances from Filipino workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries accounted for 96.17% of the total remittances from the Middle East in the first half of 2024. The remittances from the Gulf countries during this period reached $2.66 billion, reflecting a 3.76% increase compared to the first half of 2023. These remittances represent a significant portion of the total $2.76 billion sent from Filipino workers in the Middle East during the first half of 2024, as reported by “Information Direct.”

Filipino workers’ remittances from the Gulf countries also made up 41.10% of the total remittances sent from Asia, which amounted to $6.46 billion. Out of the global remittances of $16.25 billion sent by Filipino workers in the first six months of 2024, the Gulf countries contributed 16.34%. Saudi Arabia led with the highest remittances at $968.94 million, followed by the UAE with $658.31 million, Qatar with $465.1 million, Kuwait with $267.22 million, Bahrain with $133.35 million, and Oman with $162.38 million.