Qatar’s economy in the early 1900s was primarily based on pearling and fishing. This traditional economic structure required relatively low levels of labor, with workers coming from indigenous Qatari communities and regional migrants from the Arabian Peninsula and South Asia. However, the discovery of oil in the 1940s transformed Qatar’s economic trajectory, creating a high demand for labor that its small population could not fulfill.
The commercialization of petroleum wealth in the mid-20th century redefined Qatar’s economy. Similar to other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, Qatar saw rapid urbanization and infrastructure development, necessitating a large labor force.
During the 1960s and 1970s, foreign workers in Qatar were primarily from non-oil Arab countries, including Egypt, Palestine, and Lebanon. They filled roles in education, administration, and oil production. However, as labor needs expanded, Qatar began shifting towards labor recruitment from South and Southeast Asia, where workers were available in greater numbers and at lower wages.
By the 1980s, Qatar formally adopted the kafala (sponsorship) system to regulate foreign labor. This system tied workers to their employers, granting them significant control over workers’ residency, job mobility, and legal status. While this structure facilitated labor migration, it also led to widespread human rights concerns, including worker exploitation, restrictions on movement, and limited legal recourse. By the late 1990s, Qatar had one of the highest migrant-to-citizen ratios in the world, with migrant laborers composing over 85% of the total workforce.
21st Century: Economic Expansion and FIFA World Cup Preparations
The early 2000s saw Qatar experience unprecedented economic growth, driven by oil and natural gas revenues. Large-scale projects, including those related to the FIFA World Cup 2022, further increased the demand for foreign labor.
By 2019, international migrants accounted for 78.7% of Qatar’s population, totaling roughly 2.23 million people. The three largest migrant groups were from India (698,100), Bangladesh (263,100), and Nepal (254,300). In total, 95% of Qatar’s workforce comprised migrant labor, with nearly 1 million workers in construction and over 100,000 domestic workers.
However, this economic growth was marred by reports of labor exploitation, delayed wages, unsafe working conditions, and lack of legal protection for workers, particularly in low-wage industries. Domestic workers: many of whom were women were especially vulnerable to abuse, long working hours, and racial discrimination.