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The Economics of Migrant Workers in the GCC

The presence of large migrant communities has made the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries a lightning rod for an immigration debate.

Omar Al-Ubaydli
The Economics of Migrant Workers in the GCC
Migrant construction laborers working in Dubai line up to board a bus which will take them back to their labour camp for the night. (Brent Stirton/Getty Images)

Executive Summary

The presence of large migrant communities has made the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries a lightning rod for an immigration debate. Like many OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, the GCC countries are a popular destination for people seeking a higher standard of living for themselves and their families back home. However, the unique cultural and economic circumstances of the GCC countries lead to an internationally distinct set of outcomes for the host countries, the migrant workers, and the source countries.

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Omar Al-Ubaydli

is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington as well as the program director for International and Geopolitical Studies at the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat).

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