Kuwait has emerged as the leading source of foreign remittances sent to Sri Lanka by overseas Sri Lankan workers, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) says.
Speaking on the “Ada Derana Big Focus” programme, SLBFE Chairman Kosala Wickramasinghe said nearly 80,000 Sri Lankans travel to Kuwait for employment each year, accounting for around 30% of the country’s annual foreign job departures.
He said Sri Lankans working in Kuwait remitted US$893 million to Sri Lanka in 2025, making it the single largest contributor of worker remittances to the country.
Qatar ranks second in remittance inflows, followed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), while Saudi Arabia and the United States also remain among the top contributors.
According to the SLBFE, Sri Lankan communities in Italy, the United Kingdom, the Maldives, Australia and Israel also make a significant contribution to the country’s foreign exchange earnings through remittances.
Sri Lanka receives billions of dollars annually through worker remittances, which remain one of the country’s key sources of foreign exchange. (Newswire)