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Of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and indeed Dubai, stand out as having a large nonimmigrant population and sophisticated infrastructure. Expatriates make up approximately 88% of the UAE population, the highest in GCC countries (2023, World Bank). This is as opposed to Saudi Arabia, where the expatriate population makes up approximately 38%, and Qatar, where they make up approximately 78% (World Bank, 2023).This high reliance on foreign workers has helped remittances become an economic mainstay in the whole region. Remittance of capital and migration are crucial to the economies of the GCC. The GCC nations receive a large number of migrant laborers from South and Southeast Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. Remittances from these migrant workers help their families back home as well as pay a large chunk towards their respective countries' GDP. The GCC nations, in turn, benefit by filling up labor gaps at relatively affordable costs and maintaining large-scale infrastructure and service operations. Western Union has based its business around this cross-border money flow. Future growth will be fueled by several main drivers. Firstly, exchange rate fluctuation will continue to affect remittance value and consumer trends. As Daniels, Radebaugh, and Sullivan (2021) contend, businesses like Western Union must closely monitor world currency markets and regulatory settings, as fluctuations can affect profitability as well as consumer confidence. Second, regulatory reform such as Basel III requirements can affect Western Union's business model across borders, particularly in terms of liquidity requirements and compliance. Thirdly, digitalization and competition from fintech companies such as Wise (formerly TransferWise) and PayPal are making Western Union innovative with mobile platforms and lowering transfer costs to remain in business in an increasingly digital world. References Daniels, J., Radebaugh, L., & Sullivan, D. (2021). International business: Environments & operations (17th ed.). Pearson. World Bank. (2023). Bilateral remittance matrix 2023. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/migrationremittancesdiasporaissues