Discussion #4: Expatriates & Migrant Workforce Issues in the Middle East

Financial Times, Oct. 18, 2022

https://www.ft.com/content/45f2eda8-9219-4aa5-9434-277d74ea175bLinks to an external site.

1. Brooke Sherman, "Changing the tide for the Gulf 's migrant workers", June 6, 2022, Wilson Center

https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/changing-tide-gulfs-migrant-workersLinks to an external site.

After reading the articles listed above, discuss the following issues

1. If you work as an expatriate, what are some of the risks that you are likely to experience in places like Saudi Arabia? What are some of the safety issues that you need to be concerned about?

2. Almost all the Gulf countries depend upon the migrant work force for all the private sector jobs. For example, the UAE migrant population account for 89% (8.9m as compared to 1.1m Emirati population). Given the large chunk of migrant population, how would you assess the market potential for trade and investment in UAE.