Pakistani doctors with MS and MD degrees sacked in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain

In another embarrassment and reverse for Pakistan, three main Middle Eastern countries where the Pakistanis work have sacked doctors with Pakistani degrees.  Interestingly, doctors with same degree program offered by India, Egypt, Sudan and Bangladesh are still eligible!

Rejecting Pakistan’s MS/MD degree, the Saudi ministry of health claimed it lacked structured training programme, a mandatory requirement to hire medics against important positions. After the Saudi move, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain also took the similar step.Most of the affected doctors were hired by a team of the Saudi health ministry in 2016 when it conducted interviews in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad after inviting applications online. (Source: DAWN.COM)

The remittances are the biggest forex earner for Pakistan and 70% of those come from one region – Middle East.  Last year, the remittances for 2018-19 were $22 bn.

These have been under severe pressure.  Specifically when Middle Eastern countries have been deporting Pakistanis.  In 2017 alone over 40,000 Pakistani workers were deported due to “terror fear”!

As Pakistani economy dangles on brink of bankruptcy, loss of remittances from the highest earning group of expats in Middle East will have a devastating impact going forward.  Specifically in a region which sends close to over 2/3rds of the remittances.