Qatar: A Close-up

Are the wealthy few in the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar exploiting poor foreign workers?

November 30, 2013

Author

The Globalist

1. Qatar is an absolute monarchy in the Persian Gulf. Geographically, it is about the size of the U.S. state of Connecticut.

2. About 1.2 million foreign workers – mostly poor Asians from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia and the Philippines — make up 94% of the labor force in Qatar.

3. Qatar’s 250,000 citizens are among the world’s richest, with a gross national income (adjusted for relative purchasing power) of $87,478 in 2012.

4. This number is about double the figure in the United States.

From Indentured Servitude in the Persian Gulf by Richard Morin (New York Times)

Takeaways

The foreign worker population in Qatar is nearly five times the size of the ruling Qatari population.

About 1.2 million foreign workers make up 94% of the labor force in tiny Qatar.

Qatar has twice the gross national income (adjusted for purchasing power) of the United States.