Statistics show that more than 10,000 Vietnamese guest workers are currently employed in the Middle East, including nearly 6,000 in Saudi Arabia, about 4,000 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), 500 in Qatar, and 100 in Bahrain. They are mainly working as domestic helpers, hotel and restaurant staff, and construction workers.

At present, 14 licensed enterprises are sending workers to the UAE, 12 to Saudi Arabia, six to Qatar, and two to Bahrain. The temporary suspension took effect from March 1 and will remain in place until the regional situation returns to normal.

The businesses have been asked to maintain regular contact with foreign employers to get updates on the conflict and ensure the safety and legitimate rights of Vietnamese workers. They are also required to keep in close touch with Vietnamese diplomatic missions and labour management boards under Vietnamese embassies in host countries to stay informed about developments in their respective areas.

The Department of Overseas Labour, in coordination with Vietnamese representative missions abroad, is closely monitoring the situation to promptly adopt necessary measures to ensure maximum safety for Vietnamese workers.

Vietnam currently has more than 600,000 citizens working in nearly 60 countries and territories worldwide, remitting an average of nearly 7 billion USD to the homeland each year./.