Skyline of the Arabian city of Doha night to day transition timelapse in Qatar, captured in the very early morning before sunrise with illuminated skyscrapers. View from Corniche Promenade (neiezhmakov (123RF))
While Qatar has been in the news recently because of its key role in high-stakes international negotiations, such as the Israel-Iran ceasefire, there is so much more to this tiny Gulf nation, and I wanted to tell you about its position in global migration.
When my family visited Qatar over spring break, it felt extremely surreal, as if I was stepping into a new world, as well as a distant memory. Years ago, we lived there while my father worked at the U.S. Embassy. Returning to this rapidly evolving Gulf nation offered a new perspective for me on what truly powers this country: its people, specifically the immigrants who make up nearly 90 percent of the Qatari population.
Camel in Qatar (Anna Allen)
Qatar has been a special country to me for another reason as well... it was my “pocket country” for the AP Human Geography class I took this year in high school. Over the past school year, I researched its economy, geography, history, culture and immigration policies.
“However, no textbook or data chart compares itself to experiencing the data firsthand or hearing stories that make it come to life. ”
— Anna Allen
One story that came alive was from an exhilarating dune bashing excursion near the Inland Sea, where we met our driver, Sabzali, an extremely kind man from Pakistan. As we raced through the golden dunes, he shared that he had migrated to Qatar in order to support his family back home.
Sabzali is one of almost two million migrants who moved to Qatar in search of a better life. They come from all over the world, from countries such as India, Bangladesh and Nepal to work in construction, engineering, healthcare, technology, and many other industries. These men and women, mostly between the ages of 20 and 45, are the backbone of Qatar’s economic success. In fact, about 90 percent of Qatar’s population is immigrants, and approximately 95 percent of Qatar’s workforce is made up of migrant workers.
The influx of migrants in Qatar has created an interesting demographic structure. Qatar’s dependency ratio, the number of dependents supported by the number of working-age people, is the lowest in the world at just 14.7 percent, indicating a strong and self-sustaining economy.
Writer on steps (Anna Allen)
Despite concerns about labor conditions, especially leading up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar has made lots of progress in labor reform, including stronger legal protection and better enforcement. Some examples of this are a non-discriminatory minimum wage and worker health and safety laws. There is still room to grow, but the narrative has completely changed for migrant workers.
Qatar’s immigrant population also brings cultural richness. While Arabic is the official language, English and other languages such as Hindi, Urdu, and Tagalog are spoken in the rapidly expanding Doha. The result of many immigrants is a beautiful mosaic of cultures, faiths and experiences working side by side in one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
For many migrants like Sabzali, Qatar isn’t just a workplace, it’s a lifeline. And for Qatar, these immigrants are not just temporary laborers. They are a crucial part of the country’s present and future.
In the warm desert light, we said our goodbyes to Sabzali and watched the sun set over the big, golden dunes. It taught me how much one’s journey can reflect the heartbeat of an entire nation. Immigration in Qatar isn’t just a statistic; it is a powerful and inspiring story of courage, resilience, sacrifice and hope.
Girl looking at a tapastry adorned on a wall (Anna Allen)
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
