The states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar) form the largest destination for labour migration in the global South and possess the most extreme reliance on labour migration of any region in the global economy. In all of these states the majority of the working population is composed of temporary, migrant workers with no citizenship rights. In Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE, migrant workers exceed 80% of the labour force. These workers are responsible for the prodigious development boom across the region - involved in construction, maintenance and infrastructure work - as well as service, clerical, retail and domestic activities. Neighbouring countries are almost fully dependent on the labour markets of the Gulf for their overseas workforce, and remittances from these workers are critical to the survival of millions of people throughout the region. For these reasons, the Gulf takes a central place in contemporary debates around migration and labour in the global economy. This book attempts to bring together and explore these issues.The key argument is that the relationship between 'citizen' and 'non-citizen' holds immense significance for understanding the construction of class, gender, city and state in the Gulf - too often these questions are occluded in scholarly and popular accounts of the region. The precarious working conditions of migrants in the Gulf has facilitated high levels of exploitation and has been utilized at times of economic downturn to displace crisis to surrounding regions. It has also engendered a variety of forms of social mobilization and resistance among migrant workers and citizens, presenting new challenges for political actors. New forms of migration are emerging, linked to highly-skilled labour and the rebranding of the Gulf itself. Bringing together scholars on the Gulf, including academics based in the region itself, the book will critically explore all of these questions - putting the question of migration at the core of the social structures and political economy of the GCC states.The book covers a wide range of themes and case studies, including theoretical and historical perspectives; migration and the Gulf political economy; migration and gender in the Gulf; and new forms of migration to the Gulf. Through each chapter, authors will critically reflect upon the dominant understandings of migration to the Gulf, exploring the ways in which migration has helped to underpin the construction of class, gender, city and state within the GCC.

The states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar) form the largest destination for labour migration in the global South and possess the most extreme reliance on labour migration of any region in the global economy. In all of these states the majority of the working population is composed of temporary, migrant workers with no citizenship rights. In Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE, migrant workers exceed 80% of the labour force. These workers are responsible for the prodigious development boom across the region - involved in construction, maintenance and infrastructure work - as well as service, clerical, retail and domestic activities. Neighbouring countries are almost fully dependent on the labour markets of the Gulf for their overseas workforce, and remittances from these workers are critical to the survival of millions of people throughout the region. For these reasons, the Gulf takes a central place in contemporary debates around migration and labour in the global economy. This book attempts to bring together and explore these issues.The key argument is that the relationship between 'citizen' and 'non-citizen' holds immense significance for understanding the construction of class, gender, city and state in the Gulf - too often these questions are occluded in scholarly and popular accounts of the region. The precarious working conditions of migrants in the Gulf has facilitated high levels of exploitation and has been utilized at times of economic downturn to displace crisis to surrounding regions. It has also engendered a variety of forms of social mobilization and resistance among migrant workers and citizens, presenting new challenges for political actors. New forms of migration are emerging, linked to highly-skilled labour and the rebranding of the Gulf itself. Bringing together scholars on the Gulf, including academics based in the region itself, the book will critically explore all of these questions - putting the question of migration at the core of the social structures and political economy of the GCC states.The book covers a wide range of themes and case studies, including theoretical and historical perspectives; migration and the Gulf political economy; migration and gender in the Gulf; and new forms of migration to the Gulf. Through each chapter, authors will critically reflect upon the dominant understandings of migration to the Gulf, exploring the ways in which migration has helped to underpin the construction of class, gender, city and state within the GCC.