Millions of expats could be kicked out of Gulf

Asian and Arab residents shop at a mall in Dubai. (Getty Images)

Millions of expatriate workers could face being kicked out of the Gulf if plans proposed by Bahrain are passed at the next GCC summit in December.

The kingdom will put forward a motion at the meeting in Doha to place a six-year residency cap on all expatriates working in the region in an effort to stop what it sees as the erosion of local culture and to stem soaring unemployment among nationals.

The cap could force many of the 13 million or so expatriates currently living in the GCC to return home, a significant proportion of whom have brought up families in the Gulf and now consider the region their home.

“The majority of foreign manpower in the region comes from different cultural and social backgrounds that cannot assimilate or adapt to the local cultures,” said Bahrain Labour Minister Majeed Al-Alawi, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Monday.

“In some areas of the Gulf, you can’t tell whether you are in an Arab Muslim country or in an Asian district. We can’t call this diversity and no nation on earth could accept the erosion of its culture on its own land,” he added.

Al-Alawi said he was "optimistic" the proposal will be approved at the summit.

The six countries that make up the GCC – the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait – are hugely dependent on foreign workers to drive their booming economies, for everything from manual labour to company executives.

As a result, in many Gulf Arab countries expatriates now significantly outnumber nationals.

According to statistics quoted by newswire AFP, there are around 35 million people living in the GCC, of whom 37% are foreign workers.

Expatriates account for around 80% of the population of Qatar and the UAE, while in Kuwait it is roughly 60% and in Bahrain it is about 40%, according to statistics compiled by Human Rights Watch.

Saudi Arabia – which accounts for around 75% of the total GCC population - and Oman have the lowest number of foreign workers relative to the size of their populations, standing at around 33% and 25% respectively, Human Rights Watch said.

However, even in Saudi Arabia and Oman the percentage of expatriates that make up the country’s workforce is much higher.

All GGC member states are attempting to reduce their reliance on expatriates, to varying degrees of success, through schemes designed to encourage nationals into the workplace and by setting quotas on the number of nationals a company must employ.

However, the move being advocated by Bahrain is the most extreme measure yet proposed to tackle the looming unemployment crisis among nationals.

The unemployment among Saudis currently stands at 11%, while in Bahrain it is just below 4%, with around 20,000 of its citizens jobless.

In the UAE, a study by Sharjah University last year found that 32.6% of Emirati men, and 47.7% of women, are not in work.

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USER COMMENTS (50 COMMENTS)

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A poem for Al Alawi
Posted by Double R, Dubai, UAE on 8 October 2007 at 16:00 UAE time


Here's a little poem for the proposal makers 
 
" Sick n tired of hearing all these people talk about 
Whats the deal with this Xpat life and when is it gonna fade out 
Now you gotta realize it is the boom & not the trend 
We got the gift of Manpower so just leave it till the end..." 
 
thank you 
 
RR

Expats in GCC
Posted by Skeptic, Brussels, Belgium on 8 October 2007 at 16:00 UAE time

I have worked in the GCC off & on for over 15 years. What I would like to ask all supporters of this new idea is that 'forget all about experience and the right education for any specific job. Do the full GCC populations make up the mere numbers required to fill up all positions held by the expats considering the expats outnumber the local population?' Let us not forget in a hurry that the GCC as it is today, 'wealthy and succesful' was built by expats, and what the expats get in return is the fruits of their own labour.

Millions of expats could be kicked out of Gulf
Posted by DFA, Dubai, UAE on 6 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time

Natalie, Layla & Adam - Well said.. All the expats should be kicked out of the country. Money is everything for all.

6 year residency
Posted by TL, Dubai, UAE on 5 October 2007 at 17:00 UAE time


“In some areas of the Gulf, you can’t tell whether you are in an Arab Muslim country or in an Asian district. We can’t call this diversity and no nation on earth could accept the erosion of its culture on its own land,” he added. 
 
Interesting point - I wonder if the Minister has visited many areas of the UK recently!!

Expats out?
Posted by Oz, Manama, Bahrain on 5 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time

Just another case of putting in legislation where it is not needed! Leave business to work out whether locals are experienced and capable of doing a job, if they are then they will surely be working. As an expat earning a less than an obscene salary I am deeply envious of the local talent who are earning far more, and deservedly so. MP's should leave business to regulate itself.

Expats being kicked out
Posted by Abdulrehman Al Alawi, Manama, Bahrain on 5 October 2007 at 12:00 UAE time

In fact the Minister has gone on to clarify that this law only applies to unskilled personnel and labourers.

SHOW ALL COMMENTS

Yours and Mine
Posted by Noel Lambert, Dublin, Ireland on 4 October 2007 at 03:00 UAE time

Why assume that expats go there just for money. Could it not be for the soul of Arabia or the wonderful inventions that are taking place there. Or the lovely food the warm winters. Some of us feel like we belong in Arabia. Taxfree maybe but I for one did not find Dubai cheaper than anywhere else. Actually the cheapest good meal I had was in IKEA in Festival City? Let people live and go wherever they want. We are all one and everything in the world belongs to all of us. We are all made of the same stuff and basically we all want the same thing and that is to be happy and loved.

Expats would have to leave GCC at some point.
Posted by Nancy on 3 October 2007 at 20:00 UAE time

Obscene salaries paid to expats should and will be reduced in years to come... it is just a matter of time before nationals can take over the majority of jobs with the exception of cleaning/maid/builders sort of jobs.. We will not see any expats in senior position very soon as we need to get our nationals on board and take control of the economy of the GCC. That's the way forward.. As for expats currently working/living in GCC, they need to be constantly monitored and if they are not happy with certain changes in working practices, they can always find other jobs outside the GCC, even though I doubt they will due to the benefits they get from working in the GCC which they can never achieve in years and years of hard back in their home country.

Kick the expats out
Posted by Mike, Manama, Bahrain on 3 October 2007 at 16:00 UAE time

Foreigners will not assimilate as long as they are treated as foreigners. What has Mr. Alawi done about abuse foreign labour and their rights. More talk and more committees?? I have lived in Bahrain longer than Mr. Alawi has been a minister. There is no logic to his comment. The fact remains that Mr. Alawi has not been able to address the problem of unemployment despite the fact that he is the news every other day with this or that success or stride forward... but in reality there has been little ground gained. The facts remain that the local workforce is unable to meet the needs of the labour market due to the following main reasons: - Lack of will to take up employment (today's Gulf Daily talks about a meeting with the construction Industry because they are unable find locals and cannot get visas for expats). - Competency. - Work Ethic. - Education. The education sector is still being overhauled for the past 5 years because it is out of touch with what the labour market needs. I fully support the idea of localization and there are many smart Bahrainis who I would take over any expatriate but lets have some sense and sensible plans for this issue. No one wants to admit the real underlying problems and until that is done there is little hope for a solution another than temporary fixes.

This resolution will not be enacted
Posted by Shammy, Dubai, UAE on 3 October 2007 at 15:00 UAE time

The GCC (like any other country) has to have a mix of folks who can provide various levels of service. Kicking expats out after 6 years will only result in replacement with more expats.

Kick expats out
Posted by Srinivasan, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 18:00 UAE time

Think before you buy your property in Bahrain or in other GCC countries. First the restrictions should be placed on the workers in the street and in the construction sites. Is it practical? So, every 6 years you can get an unexperienced engineer and he can get good experience and go back to his country. The expenses will be only limited to the basic requirements, so that he can save for his future investments. In the process, you can also get more dishonest people.

Repercussions
Posted by Raj, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on 2 October 2007 at 17:00 UAE time

I think before implementing such measures as proposed by Bahrain, one should model its possible effects, as in many cases the repercussions could be irreparable. Besides, these economies need foreign workers to do several jobs which their nationals would not dream of doing. Today no nation is capable of avoiding a cosmopolitan ambiance as the world is growing smaller. So why fight it?

6 years for expats
Posted by Scott, Manama, Bahrain on 2 October 2007 at 16:00 UAE time

With 40% of the community of Bahrain expatriate, in real terms there is no unemployment problem. The issue is the unemployed want to do specific work and do not want to be associated with low level jobs. Yes the life style in the middle East has its advantages over Western countries - however it is also a life style that many Bahraini's live with cleaners, nannies, gardeners and drivers that clean up the streets from garbage which is thrown from car windows. Many expats are here because their companies send them here not because they look to find opportunities by themselves. If Bahrain wants it expat community to be reduced that is entirely their choice - however Bahrain should expect business to leave along with their employees.

let's do it
Posted by langyaw, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 16:00 UAE time

Ok, fine. Let them do it and let them watch the growth and development speedometer needle dip from 200 to zero in no time. Then, watch them again in a mad scramble recall all the experience, skill and talent bundle.

yes, yes
Posted by joe on 2 October 2007 at 15:00 UAE time

This is a good example of stirring and shaking a community, keeps us awake. If they need my further services the salary increment will be handsome!

A Saudi's perspective, living the expat life elsewhere
Posted by Sam, Sweden on 2 October 2007 at 15:00 UAE time

Humbug! This proposal is nonsense. If the regions' nationals wanted to work at McDonald's, they would. I am a Saudi living in Sweden. IKEA here is not like in Saudi. You gotta transport the stuff home on your own even if it doesn't fit your car, with all of God's help, you're given the strength to carry it on your own back several flights of stairs, unpack, then put all the parts together with the help of a tiny "L"-key and a monochrome manual written by a blind man, and all that time you're cursing the day you left Riyadh because that kind of job was done by two guys you were happy to pay an extra tip for even if they didn't expect it out of habit. This proposal will never fly. I'd be happy if they actually impose the proposal and then see how poorly the services will function over the next decade just so they can open the floodgates again. If anybody wants me, I'll be on my "do-it-yourself" IKEA sofa, eating popcorn and awaiting the results on CNN.

MILLIONS OF EXPATS COULD BE KICKED OUT OF GULF
Posted by MOHAMMED ALI, Abu Dhabi, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 14:00 UAE time


As far as the "Erosion of Local Culture" is concerned, the fact is that any expatriate working/visiting the GCC has learnt to respect the Local Culture and as a matter of fact, even the non-muslims have developed a habit of greeting their fellow colleagues and the citizens by saying "Assalamu alaikum" and also using words like INSHA-ALLAH, MASHA-ALLAH, ALHAMDULILLAH etc. So it is the expats who are atleast adapting to the local culture and learning more about Islam which is a plus point for the entire Muslim Community.  
 
As far as the "Unemployment Crisis among the Nationals" is concerned, there are many ways to tackle this issue. For example, the authorities should make it a rule that all the jobs in the Ministries, the Government Sectors, Oil Companies etc should be given priority to the Nationals and if a National is not found to occupy a vacancy, then the other options should be considered. Regarding the figures mentioned about the unemployment, assuming that if the unemployment among nationals becomes 0%, there are still many jobs in various sectors that require foreign work force to complete the jobs. One has to look at any crisis from a practical point of view.

Nonsense
Posted by Some one who lost his job to an icompetent local, dubai, uae on 2 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time

If they do this, the six year cap itself is going to drive potential "Arab country builders and economy boom experts" away. They will go somewhere else to boom their economy. If your local people cannot compete with the expatriates, prepare them to compete.

Silly
Posted by Adnan on 2 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time

If the GCC wants to get rid of the expats then why are we being encouraged to buy property here? Everyone knows that expats are the ones fueling the ONLY industry in Dubai - which is Real Estate. The other industry - tourism is also funded by foreigners. I wish these countries would learn from the greatness of immigration as the US did. And to Layla above who thinks this place is HEAVEN, its actually not - and yes, if it was not tax free we wouldn't even be here. And neither would you.

Mr. Minster, think it over and get it right...!
Posted by Abdallah Al Jabarty-Salalah, Muscat, Oman on 2 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time

I see lots of folks who are pretty sure the problem of "unemployment" in the GCC has something to do with the will, ability and work ethics of the local workforce, etc and the fact is that it has hardly any thing to do with it. It has plenty to do with whole set of other issues, like skills, opportunities, accessibility, benefits, nature of the job, etc. Employment just like any other economic function is market driven on the bases of supply and demand in the job market. However, it's beyond credibility to assume that an Emirati would not drive a bus. Lots of them do. It's true today GCC nationals do have the luxury of choosing the type jobs they want considering that there is very large expat percentage of the workforce in each country but the reality is they need to get the necessary skills and earn practical experience with on the job training and know how. As the Arabic saying goes, "If I'm a prince and you are a price, who will mind the donkey?". In principle the Bahraini proposal is not wrong, however the devil is in the details and it's problems start with what it supposes to achieve and the way in which it's applied. For instance, California farmers can employ Mexican farm workers for specific periods of time for a specific purpose. Therefore, the minister could come up with something similar to that - but capping the overall number has nothing to do with expats inability to mesh, neither will it solve so called "unemployment". What some of our technocrats lack is the ability to see the big picture and that is why you hear some quick fixes that were not thought through thoroughly. Moreover, if expats outnumber the locals as they do in some GCC states then how could there be "unemployment". This is an oxymoron..! Yes there is "shadow unemployment" due to a mismatch of available jobs and the locals skills and job knowledge....among other things. The solution could easily be fixed by the education system, having national job related or vocational training certified and global standard programs for each industry and sector... Let's adapt to be a more knowledge based economy since most of most of GCC countries have a very young dynamic work force. Sure there will be plenty of jobs out there that some people would not want to do but again labor ministers can easily adopt to more strategic sectoral policies whereby some restrictions can be imposed in some of these sectors and for how long these restrictions are applied. A case in a point, the US H-1B visa for Indian IT professionals. On the culture side, I guess Mr. Alawi forgets the whole of the GCC has had large ingredients of Iranian, Indian and other cultural influences for a very long time so his proposal then will not fix much - but definitely will create lot more problems then he can possibly have imagined.

Expats want to work here.
Posted by Ed, Jeddah, KSA on 2 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time

Let's start at home. If the nationals especially those with families can do their work at home and not rely on the services of maids, drivers and other domestic expat workers, it could be possible, but no, its very hard for them to live without helpers at home. So, how could they approve this proposal?

Please stop your hypocrisy!!!!!
Posted by Natalie on 2 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time

All expats are working in GCC for the MONEY (that is tax free) and for the great lifestyle they would have never dream of achieving back in their home countries.. So to all expats in this forum... please cut the hypocrisy! As you and I are well aware that all you care about are the benefits you are going to lose if you get kicked out of the GCC.. This means you will have to go back to your own countries and live in boxes and work in a stressful unsecured job!

Diversity!
Posted by Jennifer, London, United Kingdom on 2 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time

All the biggest economies in the world, whether West or the East, thrive due to diversity of cultures and a hybrid mix of people. The Gulf is built and prosperous today with high rise building, long highways, aviation, banking, fuel stations, groceries, trading and every big or small business thanks to the entrepreneur vision of expats and their expertise. Their contribution to the Gulf state cannot be denied. The unemployment is not because of the expats, but because many Arab nationals do not embrace and accept low scale jobs and work up the ladder - except in the banking and oil industry. This mind set should change which will lead to a co-existence of different cultures, cross-exchange of expertise leading to over all positive growth - from an ex-gulf professional.

Kicking out Expats?
Posted by Loy Machedo, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on 2 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time

A company is as great as its employees. The more you take care of them, the longer they stay, the stronger your relationship with them, the more experience they bring to the table and the more profitable the company gets. Today the Asian economy boasts of some of the best talent the world has to offer. And most of the best of what the world has to offer is not interested to come to the few countries in the Middle East because of long-term insecurity and ever changing laws. Right now the question which people are asking is not ‘if YOU want to come to work in Bahrain’. Rather the question being asked is ‘Why in the world would I want to come to work in a place like Bahrain?’

Like Arabs can return from US, UK etc?
Posted by VB on 2 October 2007 at 13:00 UAE time


Can US, UK and other countries do the same with their guests? Have all the countries of world reached the fulfillment and can ask their foreign workforces to return to their native countries? They can take care of themselves?  
 
No, all countries care more for manpower and talent than the cultural erosions. There are other measures to take care of culture. If there is unemployment that could be addressed too by other means. 
 
This is just a proposal from Bahrain, that is going to fall flat.

A new strategy needs to be implented to help GCC employees and expats
Posted by Mohammad on 2 October 2007 at 12:00 UAE time


GCC countries should apply strict rules to expat employees in order for them to remain in the country, they ought to undergo some form of tests (maybe something similar to the citizenship test that is applied in the UK in order for them to integrate in the GCC) and their visa should be renued each year depending on how well they do at work and if their skills are still required no matter what position/experience they hold. This will make expats more responsible/careful and this will be help GCC officials to track down/reduce the amount of expats working there. And, it will also gradually help GCC nationals to take over jobs from expats as that's the norm... We are all aware that expats are not working in GCC because they like the heat or love the Arab culture, they are there for the tax free money and easy lifestyle.... so really all good things have to come to an end right?!

Expats kick out
Posted by Peter Wagner, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 12:00 UAE time


I work in a hotel here and we have also locals working there. They are not supposed to do any job like a waiter, cleaning rooms or certain other jobs. If they would change this a lot more locals would find a job

You are all just worried about tax free salaries nothing else!
Posted by Adam on 2 October 2007 at 12:00 UAE time

Let's all be honest, expats don't really care about whether the economies of GCC countries collapse if you leave.. All you are worried about is your tax free salaries and your pampered lifestyles which you have got used to by living here in the GCC... Obviously if you leave the GCC you'd have to go back to your old, low salary and unsecured stressful 9-5 jobs back in your country.

What about experience?
Posted by azizfar, Qatar on 2 October 2007 at 12:00 UAE time

How can an employer - or Gulf economies - benefit by sending away experienced staff?

Not short sighted.. it is time for them to go back home!
Posted by Layla, London, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 12:00 UAE time


I think it's a very good idea, to get expats out of the GGC... they were there for a reason to work and earn a living (tax free) and their quality of life has drammatically changed in the GCC compared to their working lifestyles back in their home countries where they are stressed out to the max and have mortgages to pay and bills.. so really they are not there to permanently stay but to work.. Now that GCC countries started to stand up on their feet and can rely on themselves without expat employees.. I think it is time for them to go back home as Im sure they gained lots of financial rewards and benefits which they would have never been able to acheive if they were back in the UK or any other European, Asian..etc country.

Millions of expats could be kicked out of Gulf
Posted by Hombil, Muscat, Oman on 2 October 2007 at 11:00 UAE time


A 6-year cap on expats' stay in GCC would discourage expats, particularly professionals, looking for jobs in the GCC. If the long stay expats are to be replaced with fresh ones every six years, it is the GCC, which will suffer as there would be no committment on part of the expats coming for a shorter period. 
 
Al-Alawi says, "We can’t call this diversity and no nation on earth could accept the erosion of its culture on its own land". One should remind him that those countries, which encourage immigration of people on permanent basis, do not loose their culture by getting people of different nationalities and culture. I think the Arabs are putting too much importance on their culture and are scared that the foreign influence will erode their culture. Is Arab culture base so weak that it can get eroded by the cultures of the foreigners. Hope common sense prevails amongst the GCC ministers and the suggestion of the Bahrain labour minister is rejected.

Bahrain Labour Minister Majeed Al-Alawi - proposal against expatriates in the GCC
Posted by Mario Germino, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 2 October 2007 at 11:00 UAE time

Dissatisfaction with an expatriate presence has been Bahrain's problem for a long time, even causing some public disturbances in the past. What needs to happen is to make Bahrain nationals better equipped for all types of work.

Don't buy a house in Bahrain
Posted by Majd, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on 2 October 2007 at 11:00 UAE time

What then is the point of buying a home here and investing our hard earned money?

Still extremely short sighted
Posted by Jostein, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 11:00 UAE time

Yes, these things might have been on the agenda before, BUT you can really start to wonder how extremely short sighted these government ministers are. In order to get some of the nationals back to work, they will in effect stall the wonderful boom which this region is currently benefiting from. Who else can afford and will live in all these wonderful developments which are coming up around the Gulf, if it is not affluent expats who want to live and work in the region? They should make it easier for expats to come here to live and work - not more difficult. How else can this boom continue? After reading about critical shortages in competent labour in the region in the news yesterday, the labour minister should rather look at what can be done to improve and make more relevant the skills of locals across industries - from construction to banking. We all know that the work is there! If we want a thriving economy and continued boom, we must think progressively, and not like protectionists. If not, this region will stall and be thrown 20 years back in time in terms of economic development. Ghost cities anyone?

Be sensible - kick out expats.
Posted by Jeny Michaels, DXB, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 11:00 UAE time

Kicking out people after 6 years of service will mean getting fresh blood with ZILCH experience. Now how good is that going to be?

Expats and Culture
Posted by Ayesha, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 10:00 UAE time

My family has been living in the UAE (Dubai) for more than 30 years. We have extended families here who have also lived in the UAE for the same amount of time. But we are no different to those expats who have been in the UAE for 30 days. Come to think of it, had our families lived in UK, USA or Canada we would be enjoying the same benefits and respect as their own nationals. I know that anywhere a human being migrates their cultures follow. If Asians brought their cultures here so did the Europeans, does that make them any better? If the GCC authorities really want their nationals to be employed give them good education and a sense of responsibility. That's all anyone needs to get a good job. I would like the GCC to encourage nationals so that there is healthy competition in the job market - just the same way it happens all over the world. Let qualified people come through nationals or expats.

subtle racism?
Posted by pete, abu dhabi, uae on 2 October 2007 at 10:00 UAE time

“In some areas of the Gulf, you can’t tell whether you are in an Arab Muslim country or in an Asian district." Most 'locals' in this part of the world love to visit Asia for its hospitality, warmth and harmony with so many races, cultures and religions co-exist. I'm from Malaysia by the way.

Solve the much more fundamental problem
Posted by Danial Beck, Kuwait on 2 October 2007 at 10:00 UAE time


I applaud any country that tries to become self sufficient in its reliance on its own countrymen instead of outsiders. To do that however, they must solve the more fundamental problem of issues such as work ethic, building infrastructures that do not have a reliance of outside labour and expertise to maintain and the instilling pride that anyone takes in plain, hard work. It is these factors that have eroded some nations culture and the blame is focused in the wrong place. 
 
Governments should look introspectively at a problem instead of just pointing to something and claiming that will solve a problem.

Why work?
Posted by Wajid Afridi, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 10:00 UAE time

33% unemployment? I have an Emirati sponsor who has at least 80 trade licences ranging from laundries to travel agencies. He charges a minimum sponsorship amount of AED 25,000 per licence. That is a minimum of AED 2 million annually. He is only 21 - and is on the unemployment list too...

Kick out expats
Posted by Fred, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 10:00 UAE time


Dont worry, these wonderful suggestions have been circulating since I first came to the Gulf over 20 years ago. Common sense will prevail! It just helps fill the agenda at the GCC summits.

Erosion?
Posted by Martin, SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates on 2 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time

A six years expat cap leads to the following: Long term expatriates, who did assimilate and adapt the local culture, are being "exchanged" against "fresh" ones who are totally new and not familiar with the local culture. If I move to a country with restrictions to how long I can stay and made to feel it is my home, my motivation to assimilate is high. If my time is limited right from the beginning, I will only try to stay that time for the main sake of my own benefit. I think this is the wrong way - a better approach would be to be open minded and multi-cultural.

Creating islands...
Posted by Nilanjan, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time

Ambitious. Deeper research into the high unemployment rates of the nationals will surely reveal some startling facts...which am sure each government would be aware of... Organizations are profit making bodies and are not here for charity. Its a purely a give and take relationship, which has been a mutually rewarding experience for each country and the organizations therein. After attaining some levels of development, disowning the contributors for the fear of culture erosion sounds like insecurity...it actually makes one doubt...if the "Arab" culture is so fragile to be eroded by the presence of expatriates... Culture is deep rooted and continually evolves.

Ex Pat employment
Posted by Robin Watson, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain on 2 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time

I agree that we expats should leave when he time is right to give nationals a chance. However it is our obligation to educate and stimulate best business practices. Many 'live of the land' and go without leaving anything. Each expat should be assessed to establish what he or she has brought to a country before being considered for a further term. The ten expats who get away with doing the job of one man or less would be forced to leave as they leave nothing for the community. A mandate should prevent them from working in any GCC country thus forcing them to transfer their skills to nationals. It should be up to the nationals to decide whether or not an expat should stay dependent on the skills they have learned.

Expat could be kicked out of Gulf ?
Posted by Kalyan Charan, Ajman, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time

32% of Emirati men are jobless so they kick out the 80% foreign workforce and replace them with the unemployed Emirati men and expect things to run well ?!? The region needs the expat workforce... 'locally' there is not the skillset, ability or the will. This is xenophobia - concentrate on the bigger problems.

Expats go home
Posted by Tessa, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time


What a ridiculous proprosal. If the local population of all GCC countries could fill EVERY role occupied by expats (from housemaids to CEOs) than perhaps it would have merit but is this feasible? It is the multi culturalism in the GCC that gas enabled it to grow in the first place.

the six-year residency for expats
Posted by stewart, dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time

Well yes i can see where they are coming from, but sorry I could not see a Emiratis waiting tables or bar work. I work in a Satellite Communication company. I am from Oxford, England but came to Dubai because of what is happening out here. I do not want to go back to England as it has nothing to offer me. My family all live here and have done for years. I call Dubai my home.

Millions of expats could be kicked out of Gulf
Posted by expat, manama, Bahrain on 2 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time

It is other way round. What a pity! the reason given is "local cultures". This itself is an debatable issue! Just by wearing a thop and abaya dosen't mean that you have a rich culture.

Great Idea
Posted by Mike, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 09:00 UAE time

What will then be amusing to see is how they get GCC Nationals to work on a construction site in 48 degree temperatures for AED30 a day. Good bye construction boom. One cannot expect to import an entire labour force and not expect them to bring their culture with them. It is all that they know in a foreign land where they work for very little and surely that one small comfort should be availed to them. Bahrain should look inward at how best to fortify its culture and heritage.

Millions of expats could be kicked out of Gulf
Posted by T.V.NARASIMHAN on 2 October 2007 at 08:00 UAE time

The infrastructure of the countries in question was built on the sweat and blood of an expat workforce. The beautiful mosques, landscapes the are deemed to be billed as local culture were built by expats. From basic utilities to keeping the cities clean and running - done by expats.

Point of View
Posted by DF, Dubai, UAE on 2 October 2007 at 07:00 UAE time

The opportunities that have been given to foreigners have created an imbalance that will inevitably cause a deterioration of GCC Culture and Identity. So the basic idea is good. So long as those who have purchased properties are excluded from this law. Some of the GCC countries - those outnumbered by expats - make more effort to accommodate the foreign traditions and forget to emphasize the local traditions. Let's see what sort of law passes in December.

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