UAE’s growing Filipino workforce drives new welfare support pact

Insider Spotlight

• The UAE is now the second-largest destination for Filipino workers globally, with an estimated 271,000 OFWs
• Cash remittances from the UAE reached $750.3 million in the first half of 2026, up 4.3 percent year on year
• A three-year Emirates-OWWA agreement will cover welfare, repatriation, reintegration, livelihood and community initiatives
  
  
  

The growing scale of the Filipino workforce in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is putting greater focus on welfare and support mechanisms for overseas Filipino workers, as their economic links with the Philippines continue to deepen.

Emirates and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) on Sept. 17 signed a memorandum of agreement to explore initiatives supporting the welfare, empowerment and positive representation of OFWs and their families. 

The agreement was signed by Emirates senior vice president for commercial operations in the Far East Orhan Abbas and OWWA vice chair Patricia Yvonne M. Caunan.

Remittance corridor 

The UAE hosts an estimated 271,000 OFWs, making it their second-largest overseas destination globally, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Survey on Overseas Filipinos.

The community also represents a significant remittance corridor. Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data showed cash remittances from the UAE reached $750.3 million during the first six months of 2026, 4.3 percent higher than $719.6 million a year earlier.

Extended support

Under the three-year framework, Emirates and OWWA will coordinate expanded support and repatriation assistance this year.

Their cooperation will span welfare and social protection, corporate social responsibility, travel and tourism, reintegration and livelihood, and community engagement. 

Potential measures include preferential fares for official OWWA travel and, subject to Emirates’ requirements and approval, complementary travel support for individuals who have championed OFW welfare.

Emirates will also support OWWA outreach in Dubai and elsewhere in the Middle East, alongside humanitarian, volunteerism and OFW recognition initiatives.

‘Heart of the connection’ 

"Filipino communities are at the heart of the connection between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates, and we are honoured to stand alongside OWWA in caring for the workers who give so much to both nations. This collaboration extends beyond travel to recognising the dedication of Overseas Filipino Workers and offering meaningful support to them and their families. We look forward to a successful collaboration with OWWA," Abbas said in a press statement.  —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma