More than 152,000 Sri Lankan workers have left the country since the beginning of the year, with over 112,000 of them going to the Gulf Cooperation Council region, opting first for Saudi Arabia, followed by Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE.

9,300 scholars and professionals have gone abroad for employment in 7 months. In 2020, the number of highly educated professionals who have gone abroad for work is 2,957.

Expat workers are a main source of remittances for the country, which since last year has been in the grip of its worst financial crisis.

This year’s inflows are expected to be higher than last year, when they reached $3.8 billion, as until May Sri Lankans have already sent home $2.3 billion.