For several decades, Middle Eastern countries have not only been workplaces for Bangladeshi workers but also a major pillar of the country's economy. The remittances sent by millions of expatriates from these countries have acted as an invisible driving force, impacting everything from rural economies to national growth. However, the Middle East, which was once the dreamland and main source of employment and foreign currency for millions of Bangladeshis, is now rapidly changing.

A transformation is taking place in the labour market within the Middle East, which is more significant than the smoke of the US-Iran conflict, geopolitical uncertainties, or fluctuations in the oil market. The demand for unskilled and semi-skilled labour is gradually shrinking.

Artificial intelligence, automated technology, and robotics are becoming alternatives to many tasks performed by humans. Additionally, Gulf countries, through their sustained nationalisation policies, are prioritising employment for their own citizens. In the next decade, the nature of demand for foreign workers in these countries could fundamentally change.

In this context, the most pressing concern for Bangladesh is what lies ahead for the country's economy, employment, and remittance-led development if Middle Eastern labour markets are no longer as accessible to Bangladeshi workers as they have been in the past.