84% of Ugandan job seekers in the Middle East are women 

However, the report does not provide reasons for the variance, but provides leads related to the nature of available jobs, such as housemaids or helps, waitresses, teaching assistants, merchandisers, and supermarket attendants, majority of which favour women. 

Other jobs largely available to migrant workers include drivers, security guards and cleaners, among others. 

During the period, Ministry of Gender data shows, 282,348 migrant workers officially left Uganda for the Middle East, of which 84.2 percent or 238,010 were women compared to 15.7 percent or 44,338 men.  

The number of men, as a comparison to women, has only been higher once - in 2016 - when at least 2,035 men travelled out of Uganda to the largely Arab region compared to 504 women. 

The data also indicates that in the nine years to May 2024, the total number of migrant workers has progressively increased from just 2,539 in 2016 to a peak of 93,396 in 2022, before dropping to 27,063 in 2023. However, the report does not explain the drop. 

The migrant job market was busiest between 2021 and 2022 when 88,553 and 93,396 workers left in search of  jobs in the two years, respectively.

On average, at least 31,372 Ugandans leave for the Middle East, with majority going to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.

For instance, during the period, of the 282,348 migrant workers, at least 80.9 percent, which represents 228,506 went to Saudi Arabia, while 8.5 percent or 24,142 and 4.8 percent or 13,581, went to UAE and Qatar, respectively.

Others, which represent 5.8 percent went to Iraq (5,331), Jordan (4,520), Somalia (3,254), Afghanistan (1,450), and Bahrain (1,105), among others. 

Majority of migrant workers are employed in casual jobs, such as housemaids or helps, security guards, cleaners, drivers, waiters, and waitresses. House helps dominate, followed by cleaners, general helpers, merchandisers, and supermarket attendants. 

The data also indicates that government is making significant returns from migrant workers in the form of non-tax revenue, which, between October 2021 and June 2024, earned the country Shs30b. 

The money was largely generated from foreign job order fees, rated at $30 per vacancy and $300 per job order, which earned government Shs28.3b, while Shs1.2b came from license application and renewal fees, which cost Shs2m each. 

Other revenue sources included local job order fees, which fetched Shs375.2m, expression of interest fees (Shs164.8m), late licence renewal fines (Shs104.4m), and training institute accreditation (Shs29.2m), among others. 

Asked to share data on the increasing number of Ugandans travelling to Canada for migrant jobs, Mr Hilary Talemwa, the Ministry of Gender labour officer, said government has no data or details of people travelling to the North American country, noting that: “As a ministry, we have never cleared anyone for Canada jobs.  People are informally going there”. 

Migrant workers by sex from 2016 to May 2024            

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