Pakistan World Cup jobs strategy is being scaled as the government targets training and deployment of up to 400,000 workers for projects linked to the FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia, signaling a structured push to strengthen its global labour export position.
Workforce development is being matched to expected needs in the infrastructure, aviation and tourism and tourism services and facilities associated with the tournament cycle from 2026 to 2034, in accordance with official planning frameworks. The programme is part of an institutional strategy to improve the human resources and maximise the overseas employment flows.
About 215,719 workers have completed soft-skills training during FY25-26 (July-March) to enhance their adaptability and international employability standards, data shows. This is an effort in capacity building that will play a pivotal role in gearing up Pakistani labour for high demand international markets.
Labour migration continues to be a crucial economic driver, as the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BESM) reported 762,499 worker registrations for overseas employment in 2025 alone. More than 15 million Pakistanis have obtained jobs in the past abroad under the official framework of employment with more than 96% being in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries since 1972.
Saudi Arabia continues to be the top choice for Pakistanis, with a total of more than 530,000 workers deployed there in 2025, accounting for almost 70% of all deployments. Said Arabia’s Vision 2030 program is also feeding the demand as it’s driving the growth of infrastructure and services sectors ahead of the 2034 World Cup.
Pakistan is aggressively expanding its labour mobility avenues outside the Gulf. Through the Pakistan-EU Migration and Mobility Dialogue, engagements have been made with Italy, Germany and Greece, emphasizing on ‘regulated and skilled migration’.
