Fundamentals

The Gulf has seen a significant rise in tourism, with the region advertising itself as a must-visit destination. These countries have developed unique campaign strategies in order to appeal to a range of different tourists. The United Arab Emirates is seen as the ideal destination for an Instagram-worthy vacation, Saudi Arabia has promoted itself as perfect for pilgrims and holiday-seekers alike, and Qatar has continued to ride the high of hosting the 2022 World Cup. The region has seen incredible success in recent years, with their largely fossil-fuel dependent economies beginning to move towards more eclectic forms of income. Whilst this diversification has helped to promote, share, and draw attention to the unique cultures of the Middle East, when human rights are considered, a much darker narrative is exposed.

Millions of migrant workers live and work in the region; in the UAE, they account for 88 percent of the population, and in Qatar they make up an overwhelming percentage of the total labor force. These people mainly originate from South Asian, South-East Asian and African countries, with many finding employment in labor-intensive jobs. Many have been severely mistreated, with Amnesty International issuing a 70-page report in April 2022, commenting on systematic and structural labor abuses, specifically in Qatar’s private security sector.

Many issues that migrant workers face link to the sponsorship system that numerous countries in this region use, the kafala system. This system takes the control of employment, visas, and freedom of movement away from employees, transferring it to their employer, which often leads to severe exploitation. Human Rights Watch’s research into these violations has revealed a host of issues, with wage abuse, employer exploitation and forced labor prevalent in all six GCC nations.

One major reason that so many people travel to and work in the Gulf, is to try and improve their economic standing. In December 2023, Amnesty International spoke to Mohamed, a Sri Lankan man who migrated to Qatar. He did so in order to support his family who were finding it difficult to cope in the midst of Sri Lanka’s economic struggles. Mohamed found himself having to pay over $1,000 in recruitment fees before he even travelled to Qatar, a practice not uncommon in this region. Hopeful migrant workers are often made to pay large sums of money before they can secure a job. In some cases, recruiters look to maximize profits by charging both employer and employee for their services, a practice that is insufficiently monitored and regulated.

Once Mohamed had arrived in Qatar, he discovered that his living conditions were extremely poor, his working hours were unrealistically long, and he was exposed to excessive heat. With such an unforgiving climate, where temperatures often rise well above 40 degrees Celsius, migrant workers are presented with yet another danger that they must navigate. Human Rights Watch spoke to migrant workers in the region, who complained of numerous heat-related illness symptoms, with long-term chronic illnesses and deaths documented too. A Harvard School of Public Health study which looked into human rights and health disparities for migrant workers in the UAE, also recorded that medical insurance for migrant workers, and medical care for workplace injuries, is insufficient to say the least.

Mohamed worked for many months with no pay, was evicted from his housing, and denied access to his ID. After 8 months in Qatar, he was only paid for two months of work and ended up having to return home to Sri Lanka. Mohamed was financially exploited and treated unfairly in his pursuit of a better life but sadly, his story is not a unique one.

Failing to ensure the protection, success and wellbeing of migrant workers sours the world’s image of the Gulf, tarnishing their reputation as an inviting destination. The region performs woefully inadequately when it comes to ensuring that migrant workers, who contribute so considerably to their economies, are treated fairly. Although they promote themselves as idyllic holiday destinations, they are also host to severe shortfalls in the protection of human rights and must change if they wish to be internationally respected.

Editor: Leah Russon Watkins