Mohammed left his small village in Ghana with a heart full of dreams. He had heard stories of Qatar from the glittering skyline, the promise of better wages, and the chance to provide for his family. His journey, like that of hundreds of thousands of other migrant workers, was one of hope, sacrifice, and resilience.

Qatar, a nation that has transformed itself into a global powerhouse, stands tall today because of the hands that built it. Skyscrapers reaching the clouds, world-class stadiums that hosted the FIFA World Cup, and the modern infrastructure that makes the country run. All of this was made possible by the tireless efforts of its immigrant workforce. But behind the glitz and glamour lies a complex story and an untold narrative of immense contribution, daily struggles of immigrants like Mohammed who relocated to Qatar in search greener pastures, and an ongoing fight for fair rights.

If you walk through Doha’s streets, you will meet people from all over the world. There you will find Osama, an Indian engineer designing the city’s next big project. Ranju, a Pakistani nurse taking care of families and patients in Qatar. Hassan, an Egyptian professor teaching at the university. And then, there is Ahmed, toiling under the sun at a construction site, laying the foundation for yet another architectural marvel. This lead to us to the fact that immigrants make up nearly 88% of Qatar’s population. These workers come from different places such as South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa. These immigrants have different dreams however, they all contribute to the country’s success as they are seen in serving various sectors ranging from construction and domestic work to professional services and finance. Demographically, South Asians (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) form the largest group, working in construction, security, and domestic services followed by Southeast Asians (Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia) who are commonly found in healthcare, hospitality, and household work. Last but not the least, African migrants (Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Ghana) who have been arriving in increasing numbers, often seem to be taking up jobs in security and cleaning services. Lastly, Western and Arab expatriates (UK, US, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Morocco) also dominate in finance, media, education, and high-level corporate jobs. There have been many arguments that, without these immigrant workers, Qatar’s economy would not be what it is today. Infrastructure such as the roads we drive on, the five-star hotels that attract tourists and the hospitals where lives are saved, all these would not be able to function without the contributions of millions of workers from abroad.

When Qatar won the bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, the race to build world-class stadiums and infrastructure began. Migrant workers, mostly from South Asia, worked long hours in the heat, ensuring that Qatar would shine on the global stage. Walk into a hospital, and you will likely be cared for by a nurse from the Philippines. Stop by a café, and a smiling waiter from Kenya will serve you coffee. Behind every daily convenience, there is an immigrant worker ensuring that life in Qatar runs smoothly. Every month, workers like Mohammed send money back home. These are remittances that feed families, pay for education, and uplift entire communities. Qatar’s foreign workforce contributes billions of dollars to their home economies, creating a ripple effect of economic growth far beyond the country’s borders. But while Qatar’s immigrants are essential to the nation’s growth, their journey is often filled with hardship due to certain rules and regulations in the Qatar labor system that makes the life of these immigrants nothing to write home about. Examples of such rules, conditions and regulations are the Kafala system, Wage divide, Life in the Labor Camps etc.

For years, Qatar operated under the Kafala system, which tied workers to their employers, limiting their freedom to change jobs. The Kafala system is a legal framework used in many Gulf countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Jordan, to regulate the employment and residency of migrant workers. Basically it is a sponsorship system that ties foreign workers to their employers, who act as their legal sponsors (kafeel in Arabic). The system dates back to the 1950s when Gulf countries began to experience rapid economic growth due to oil wealth. Because of small local populations, they relied on millions of foreign workers, especially from South and Southeast Asia to fill labor gaps in construction, domestic work, and services. As such, the Kafala system was designed to control this influx of foreign labor, ensuring that workers remained tied to their employers and did not overstay their contracts. Under this system, migrant workers could only enter, live, and work in the country under the sponsorship of an employer (kafeel). This act empowered employers to have significant control over their employees, which includes the ability to renew or cancel their residency permits. There is also limited job mobility which means that, workers could not change jobs or leave the country without their employer’s approval. Some employers used the system to withhold wages, confiscate passports, or impose harsh working conditionsand if a worker left their job without permission, they could be considered “absconding” and face arrest, deportation, or even bans from returning. This system has been heavily criticized for facilitating worker exploitation and restricting the rights of migrant laborers. While some reforms have been made in recent years, its effects still linger in some parts of the regions, making it difficult in ensuring fair treatment for all.

Another pressing issues is the wage divide system. Wage disparities remain stark, with Western expatriates often earning significantly more than their Asian or African counterparts, even in similar roles. For workers like Mohammed, home is not a luxurious apartment but rather it is a crowded labor camp on the outskirts of the city. Small rooms shared with six or more people, limited facilities, and harsh summer heat define their daily existence. While Qatar has improved housing conditions, more efforts are needed to provide humane living spaces for all workers.