From Middle East Eye:

Bangladesh’s independence coincided with the rise of the Gulf states’ oil wealth. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, and later Qatar had money to burn and an almost insatiable appetite for migrant workers. The men built the towers, pumped the gas, and cleaned the malls, while the women were employed to keep the home and tend to the children. Today, Bangladeshi workers are among the largest groups of migrants in the Gulf. Numbers are fluid, but according to the UN over seven million Bangladeshis are living abroad. Well over two million can be found in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.