COVID-19 crisis returns spotlight to Gulf migrant communities
Contract migration schemes make citizenship acquisition nearly impossible for migrant workers in the Gulf, and recent economic and health crises make any imminent changes further unlikely.
“After almost 30 years of living in Dubai, I left.” So begins a blog post written in 2017 by an Indian citizen who grew up in the city and witnessed her father being laid off after he had contributed to the success of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), working "like a mad dog."
“I would never make the same mistake, never stay in a place for too long without having the opportunity to be its citizen,” the author said.
Three years later, the Gulf is unrecognizable: rentier models of governance are being shaken under the weight of the financial and health crises, as is the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Saudi Arabia allows women to drive as well as international singers to perform concerts.
One thing has remained immutable, however: Citizenship acquisition is largely out of reach for migrant workers who are the driving force of Gulf economies.
