How come somalis don't make up a large population of foreign workers in the middle east despite our proximity to them?

[sums20]

I was checking some facts today and found out despite being so close to the middle east we aren't even near the top of african foreign workers in the middle east! Even Ethiopia a notoriously landlocked country has a way way larger population over there compared to us. I know they have a larger population than us overall but you would think we would at least be comparable to them because we have a coast. Even in the libya route we aren't even top 5 if chat gpt and Google is anything to go by. This is interesting bc I see this being used against us quite a lot and also thought we were a substantial population in these seeing how people talk about it.

 

[wonyluvr]

People want Somalis to be what we aren’t so bad

 

[caanoshaah]

Ok honestly this is a blessing tho cuz Somalis got enough problems…. The last thing we need is Somalis to be treated like slaves just like how these gulf Arabs treat the Indians workers, Ethiopian maids etc look into the kafala system these mfs straight up confiscate your passport so you can’t leave let’s count this as a blessing…

 

[sums20]

Ok honestly this is a blessing tho cuz Somalis got enough problems…. The last thing we need is Somalis to be treated like slaves just like how these gulf Arabs treat the Indians workers, Ethiopian maids etc look into the kafala system these mfs straight up confiscate your passport so you can’t leave let’s count this as a blessing…

It's definitely a blessing I'm just curious on how there's such a difference despite us being so close to the middle east. Don't get me wrong I think it's great that there's not a large amount of somalis basically in modern day slavery

 

[Gracias]

All those countries involved (ethiopia, india, pakistan, nigeria etc) are willing to sell their people out and don’t feel shame about it. Everyone knows how maids/workers are treated in the gulf but these countries continue to allow their citizens to go there and some even have special programs to facilitate the migration of these workers. Very evil

 

[moosaid]

Somalis were a big part in the 1960s and 1970s but then Asians came

 

[Barkhadle1520]

I was checking some facts today and found out despite being so close to the middle east we aren't even near the top of african foreign workers in the middle east! Even Ethiopia a notoriously landlocked country has a way way larger population over there compared to us. I know they have a larger population than us overall but you would think we would at least be comparable to them because we have a coast. Even in the libya route we aren't even top 5 if chat gpt and Google is anything to go by. This is interesting bc I see this being used against us quite a lot and also thought we were a substantial population in these seeing how people talk about it.

Maid is a humiliating job in the gulf, its mainly habeshis who do it and for this reason and the history behind it habeshi is an insult to them, but hsm sent some of his folk there to clean arabian's dishes so you never know, some day you might hear a somali hoyo that got thrown out a balcony or something

In the 60s and 70s during the oil boom lots of Somalis moved there and founded businesses





I heard they spent most of their wealth on rebuilding after the civil war, there would be a pretty wealthy Northern diaspora in Saudi if it hadnt happened

 

[Burqad]

I was checking some facts today and found out despite being so close to the middle east we aren't even near the top of african foreign workers in the middle east! Even Ethiopia a notoriously landlocked country has a way way larger population over there compared to us. I know they have a larger population than us overall but you would think we would at least be comparable to them because we have a coast. Even in the libya route we aren't even top 5 if chat gpt and Google is anything to go by. This is interesting bc I see this being used against us quite a lot and also thought we were a substantial population in these seeing how people talk about it.

There was a huge amount of Somali workers before the 1980’s, but Saudis preferred people from non-Arab league countries they can abuse like Indians or filipinos.

Somalia actually invented the Franco-Valuata system that a lot of countries involved in the gulf labor system use.

 

[bobby_hill-Punt]

I was checking some facts today and found out despite being so close to the middle east we aren't even near the top of african foreign workers in the middle east! Even Ethiopia a notoriously landlocked country has a way way larger population over there compared to us. I know they have a larger population than us overall but you would think we would at least be comparable to them because we have a coast. Even in the libya route we aren't even top 5 if chat gpt and Google is anything to go by. This is interesting bc I see this being used against us quite a lot and also thought we were a substantial population in these seeing how people talk about it.

Because they literally enslave them. Ethiopian person is okay with you have your foot on there neck. It's better we do business then work for them. Also Somalia is in the Arab league so they know what these Arab subjugate these people to is inhumane

 

[Keep it a boqol]

Cuz we got kibr and look down on manual jobs

 

[Ladylike]

Somalis value freedom. That’s why we are into business and entrepreneurship. Most of the Middle East is classist if you’re lucky enough to get a job there it’s almost like slavery Somali guumaysi yeeli maayo.

 

[Zak12]

Many of those countries that workers migrate from are highly crowded slum filled nations with the local jobs paying literally next to nothing. Somalia is the opposite in that regard and I doubt the average Somali laborer is facing as miserable conditions as the ones in Ethiopia or India.

 

[Idilinaa]

Truth be told, it follows a long historical pattern: many Africans, including Ethiopians, were taken as slaves into the Gulf and Middle East from the medieval period well into the early modern era. Subjugation or servitude became a recurring pathway to escape poverty. The way many still flock to become poorly treated kafalla laborers or maids today is in many ways a continuation of that legacy.

By contrast, Somalis historically occupied a very different position in the region. In the Gulf and Middle East, Somalis were known as scholars, merchants, jurists, teachers, engineers, and diplomats ,carrying nisbas like Al-Jabarti, Al-Zayla’i, Al-Barbari, Al-Maqdishi, and later Al-Sumal in the 18/19th century.


That pattern continues today. A quick search of Al-Somali brings up pages of highly educated professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. For example:

The “exposure” explanation often cited for why abuses happen to Ethiopians in the UAE or Saudi Arabia doesn’t make sense. There, Somalis are highly visible in business and professional sectors. A quick search for “Al-Somali” on Google or LinkedIn shows thousands of Somalis in high-level professional and public sector roles:

Look through here :https://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/+/Al+Somali

Few examples:

https://sa.linkedin.com/in/omar-alsomali-13abba12b

https://sa.linkedin.com/in/fawzi-al-somali-7bb14314

https://sa.linkedin.com/in/hassan-alsomali-577915128

https://sa.linkedin.com/in/wafa-alsomali-954b7767

Some even win awards:
https://sa.dow.com/en-us/award-winning-employee.html

Here is another example. Hana Al-Somali appointed as the head of HR of Abu Dhabi commercial bank

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank appoints Hanaa Alsomali as Head of HR

Hanaa Alsomali brings over 13 years of HR leadership experience across the banking sector to her new role.

me.peoplemattersglobal.com

Even the advisory of the minstry of investment in Saudi is another Somali called Waleed Al-Somali

Waleed Al Somali | Localized

Localized connects students and grads with employers to hire them and industry experts to guide them on their career journey

www.localized.world

Another one with the same name:

There are countless similar examples.

In short, while Somalis abroad form a large working population, the majority are concentrated in professional, financial, or entrepreneurial roles , not in low status labor.

The fundamental difference comes down to poverty and structures of mobility. Many Africans lacked strong communal support systems and avenues for upward movement, whereas Somalis leveraged trade, networks, and education to sustain higher status roles in the region:

But i think the reasons why is that certain Non-Muslim Africans and Southeast Asians have no independent mechanisms to earn a living, unlike Somalis, who often find ways to trade, start businesses, and access communal support. Without such systems, many are forced into situations where abuse becomes a means of survival.

 

[Idilinaa]

That pattern continues today. A quick search of Al-Somali brings up pages of highly educated professionals in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. For example:

Asked AI how many carrying the nisba are affiliated with Aramco it gives a short overview of it:

 

[Gojo Satoru]

Cuz we're lazy

 

[Idilinaa]

Cuz we're lazy

No. 99% of manual labor work/construction work in Somalia is occupied by Somalis and the construction industry drives economic growth. It's not like the UAE and Saudi where they have a two tier system and outsource it.

Also in America there is Somali construction crews and many go through the vocational education path in Europe. Not taking degrading/abusive work does not make one lazy.

Besides this to succeed in professional , business roles also take a lot of hard work. Somalis are extremely hard working if given the opportunity. If you work long hours and multiple jobs like many do, you gotta be.

 

[Idilinaa]

Truth be told, it follows a long historical pattern: many Africans, including Ethiopians, were taken as slaves into the Gulf and Middle East from the medieval period well into the early modern era. Subjugation or servitude became a recurring pathway to escape poverty. The way many still flock to become poorly treated kafalla laborers or maids today is in many ways a continuation of that legacy.

Covered this a bit in my geographical thread:

All of what i listed above are clear resource advantages given to Somalis over other Africans due to our geography historically , it is made abundantly clear when you see the comparison to Oromo's who trend in the same way with other Africans: The eastern countries he describes as having ''a large heritage'' are Somalis.

This is a 1800s translated qoute describing the oromo petty kingdoms:

"The Galla kings have no budget, they do not have, as in some Eastern countries, a large heritage which keeps them alive; they can hardly hoard on the booty made in the field, because it must be distributed to the warriors. They must so resort to extraordinary resources, and this is the trafficking of children who provide them. Some, the most frank, receive a child tax in all families; others arrive at the same but by fines imposed as punishment for more or less serious offences real, and it is in children that the fine is paid. Such a chief is accused of conspiring against the prince (an absurd suspicion in a country where anyone who wants to seize power only has to mount a horse and call his followers), the children of the one suspected and those of his relatives, and the fact seems so natural that no revolt. These unfortunate people are sold in herds, at a low price and at cash, to the merchants from the north who come every year to tour the Galla kingdoms."

This is also true for Ethiopian Highlanders who would sell their own country men into slavery, to escape poverty, you see several examples of this with Tigray even and Afar. Because of Somali peoples mobility/fluidity and wide array of resources we never had to resort to this.

Kilwa sultanate that certain africanist brag about it as an example of Swahili/African civilization. Yet it slave raided the interior populations soo much that it depopulated whole areas and it literally operated like a coastal enclave, was not connected to any inland routes and its geography of mountains and thick forests limited inland access and therefore didn't have access to diverse products, outside of gold, slaves and ivory. It had no reliance on intermediaries as well. Not much different then the later Zanzibari sultanate, who followed the same historical trend minus the gold.