Geneva, (IINA) – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries announced their contribution to reducing poverty by creating 17 million job opportunities for expat workers across the member states, the Joint GCC Cabinet told the International Labor Conference in Geneva on Wednesday.

Speaking at the 105th session of the conference, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Labour and Social Development Mofrej Al-Haqbani said that expat workers send around $80 billion to their home countries from the GCC countries, which in turn, he explained, helped fight poverty in their own countries and reduce unemployment in those countries.

According to WAM, he said that the 17 million workers were making the economy of the GCC countries more active by contributing to big projects that develop these countries as well.

He said GCC countries are ready to participate in the UN 2030 program to combat poverty and are doing their part to help the UN reach its 2030 target.

The GCC also plans to provide more opportunities for women in the market so there can be more proportionate participation, especially in small- and medium-size businesses.

The Joint Cabinet also expressed concern over Israel’s treatment of Arab workers in occupied Palestinian areas.

They highlighted that there were limited opportunities for Arabs in the occupied areas with few rights, which has led to poverty spreading among Arab workers, and the occupied authorities are not doing anything to solve the problem.