Introduction
For many middle- and low-income Filipinos, it’s a dream to work abroad and find better career opportunities that can help them improve their quality of life or escape poverty. There are plenty of popular destinations for Pinoy workers, and among them are countries in the Middle East.
The region offers plenty of jobs, and several do not require high skills. This is why many Filipinos in the region become domestic helpers, salespeople, drivers, construction workers, and cooks. However, there are other employment opportunities for those who hold professional degrees, such as doctors, nurses, engineers, and teachers.
Even though Pinoys in the region earn a lot, many still look for the cheapest and fastest ways to send money abroad. The services offered by Cebuana Lhuillier come in handy in these situations. We have different remittance partners in the Middle East that OFWs can visit to make economical international cash transfers.
Cost of Sending Money From the Middle East
The Middle East, although still encompassing parts of Asia, is a relatively far region from the Philippines. It takes around 10 hours to get to some nations via plane, and the airfare can be quite expensive. However, the good thing is that many OFWs in the region earn a decent income, allowing them to offer better financial support to their families back home. They just need to find a safe and secure way to transfer money from overseas to ensure that their hard-earned cash will go to the intended recipients.
If you wish to send money from any of those nations, you have to pay the remittance fee, with the total cost depending on several factors, including distance. You might have to prepare higher transaction fees the farther your current country is from the Philippines. In the Middle East, there are many foreign territories that Filipinos want to work in, and some popular ones are:
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has long been one of the top destinations for Filipinos looking for long-term employment abroad. The kingdom has the largest population of OFWs among all other countries worldwide, and there’s a good reason for that.
Filipino workers in the country do not have to pay large taxes, so they can save more and send a larger amount of money back to their families. There is also less competition among employees in the country, so it can be easier for some OFWs to rise higher in the ranks.
Sending money back to the country entails paying some fees, which is affected by the distance between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines. Those who plan to remit should do preliminary research on exchange rates and current fees to find the most economical way to make international money transfers.
United Arab Emirates
Like Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is another popular destination among Pinoy workers. As of 2022, there are nearly 700,000 Filipinos in the nation, and more than half of them are in the capital Dubai.
Since there is already a large Filipino community in the UAE, it’s easier for new OFWs to mingle and find a taste of home. The country also offers higher, tax-free wages to many of its workers, so Pinoy employees there can earn and save more.
If you currently reside in the country, you may want to learn how to send money overseas without paying fees, but that might be difficult. Worry not, though, because you generally do not have to pay much if you transact through the most trusted international money remittance centers.
Kuwait
Kuwait is a small country located between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Despite its size, it is still a popular destination among OFWs because they have one of the strongest currencies in the world.
On average, a single Kuwaiti dinar can be exchanged for over 170 Philippine pesos in 2022. This is a lot of money, considering that, on average, Filipino professionals in the nation can get anywhere between 100 to 1,000 KWD, depending on their job.
Since Filipinos in Kuwait earn a lot, some do not worry about the fees they have to pay when sending money back home. Of course, it’s still wise to research the current exchange rates and remittance fees to make the most of their hard-earned cash.
Finding the Best Ways To Transfer Money From Overseas
Cebuana Lhuillier helps Filipino workers in the Middle East make international cash transfers. We have numerous remittance partners in different parts of the world that OFWs can easily visit if they wish to find some of the cheapest and fastest ways to send money abroad.
When they go to the establishment, they simply need to fill out a remittance form and hand it over to the staff. They should also give their ID, the exact amount they wish to send, and the payment for the transaction.
It’s better to do preliminary research to get an idea of how much the transaction fee will be. The amount of money to be sent is one factor that affects the overall cost of the service. If you plan to send a large sum of cash, you might have to pay a higher fee.
These fees, however, are only paid by the sender. This means that the person receiving the money only needs to visit their preferred Cebuana Lhuillier branch and fill out the necessary form. Once done, they have to hand it to the staff and wait for them to process the transaction.
Conclusion
Many Filipinos in the Middle East are working hard to provide for their families back here in the Philippines. If you are one of these hardworking people, it would be beneficial for you to find some of the cheapest and fastest ways to send money from abroad. Cebuana Lhuillier’s international remittance partners can help you with that.
To learn more, do not hesitate to contact us through any of our channels. We will be more than happy to assist you with your needs!