In 2013, Qatar ranked second worldwide in terms of per capita GDP. This
is due to its huge endowment in hydrocarbons and the small size of its
national population, the smallest in all GCC countries. Exploiting the
resources and channelling them into ambitious development policies
required massive imports of foreign labour. The country’s total
population has quintupled since the mid-1980s; moreover, foreign
nationals made an estimated 85.7 per cent of all residents and up to
94.1 per cent of all employed population in 2013. The awarding of the
2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar in December 2010 turned the spotlight on
the country’s dilemma regarding the “number vs. rights trade-off ”
issue: Qatar has one of the most constraining kafala systems in the
region. Paradoxically, however, demo- graphic data also indicate that a
growing share of foreigners live with their families, give birth in the
country, and intermarry with Qataris. The strict separation between
nationals and migrants could thus start slowly eroding.
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