Publications

The Gulf Labour Markets, Migration, and Population (GLMM) programme produces an array of publications addressing all major issues in different formats: Factsheets, Explanatory Notes, Research Papers, Policy Briefs, Books, and Articles in academic publications.

Books
Research Papers
Explanatory Notes
Policy Briefs
Factsheets
Webinar Summaries
Workshop Summaries

New

Books

The Future of Migration to GCC Countries Migrants’ Aspirations, Labour Reforms, and Politics Springer – South-South Migration Series

Type: Book - 2025

edited by Françoise De Bel-Air, Nasra M. Shah

Migration to the Gulf: Policies in Sending and Receiving Countries

Type: Book - 2018

edited by Philippe Fargues, Nasra M. Shah

Skilful Survival: Irregular Migration to the Gulf

Type: Book - 2017

edited by Philippe Fargues, Nasra M. Shah

Factsheets

National and Foreign Populations in GCC Countries

Type : Factsheets - Factsheet No. 13, February 2025

Keywords :

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Towards a Knowledge-based Labour Market in Saudi Arabia?

Type : Factsheets - Factsheet No. 12, October 2024

Keywords :

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Sub-Saharan African Migrants in the Gulf States

Type : - Factsheet No. 11, June 2024

Keywords :

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Ageing in the Gulf States

Type : - Factsheet No. 10, April 2024

Keywords :

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Second and Third Generation Foreign Residents Born in Kuwait

Type : - Factsheet No. 9, January 2024

Keywords :

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

International Mobility of Tertiary-Level Students in Qatar

Type : - Factsheet No. 8, September 2023

Keywords :

by : Sharique Umar

Arab Nationals in Saudi Arabia

Type : - Factsheet No. 7, August 2023

Keywords : Egypt, Employment, Family-reunification, Foreign-labour, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi-arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

GCC: Are Oil Prices No Longer a Driver of Population Growth?

Type : - Factsheet No. 6 - May 2023

Keywords :

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Domestic Workers in the GCC: A Diverse Population

Type : - Factsheet No. 5 - March 2023

Keywords : Gcc, Publications

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Qataris Make Up Only a Quarter of All Births

Type : - Factsheet No. 4 - February 2023

Keywords : Publications, Qatar

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Five Decades of Semi- and Unskilled Labour Migration from Pakistan

Type : - Factsheet No. 3 - February 2023

Keywords : Labour-migration, Pakistan

by : Nasra M. Shah

Saudi Arabia: Changes in Labour Force Structure?

Type : - Factsheets - No. 2 January - 2023

Keywords :

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Explaining the "Demographic Imbalance" in the Gulf States

Type : - Factsheets - No. 1 October - 2022

Keywords : Bahrain, Foreign-national-populations, Foreign-population, Kuwait, National-population, Oman, Qatar, Saudi-arabia, United-arab-emirates

by : Françoise De Bel-Air

Explanatory Notes

The Regulation of Platform Work and Labour Hire Companies for Migrant Workers in the Gulf Council Cooperation Countries – a New Challenge or an Old Problem?

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 4 / 2024

by Sophia Kagan and Ryszard Cholewinski

Reforming the sponsorship system in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Opportunities and challenges as a result of COVID-19 and the ﬁscal crisis

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 1/2022

Keywords: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sponsorship, UAE

by Sophia Kagan and Ryszard Cholewinski*

The Legal Framework of the Sponsorship Systems of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Comparative Examination

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 4/2019

Keywords: Bahrain, Foreign Labour, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sponsorship, UAE

by Maysa Zahra

Demography, Migration, and the Labour Market in Kuwait

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 3/2019

Keywords: Amnesty, Deportation, Egypt, Ethiopia, Foreign Labour, Foreign Population, India, Irregular Migration, Kuwait, Kuwaitisation, Migration Policy, National Population, Refugees, Statelessness, Statistics, Syria

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Oman’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 2/2019

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregularity, Labour Rights, Laws and Regulations, Migration, Oman, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Demography, Migration, and the Labour Market in Bahrain

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 1/2019

Keywords: Bahrain, Foreign and National Populations, Foreign Population, Labour Market, National and Foreign Labour, Naturalisation, Policy, Politics, Sponsorship

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Demography, Migration, and the Labour Market in Oman

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 7/2018

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregularity, Kuwait, Labour Rights, Laws and Regulations, Migration, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Kuwait’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 6/2018

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregularity, Kuwait, Labour Rights, Laws and Regulations, Migration, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Demography, Migration and Labour Market in Saudi Arabia

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 5/2018

Keywords: Amnesty, Citizenship, Deportation, Foreign Population, Irregularity, Migration Policy, National Population, Nationals and Foreign Labour, Saudi Arabia, Saudisation, Statistics

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Qatar’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 4/2018

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregularity, Labour Rights, Laws and Regulations, Migration, Qatar, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Saudi Arabia’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 3/2018

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregularity, Labour Rights, Laws and Regulations, Migration, Saudi Arabia, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Bahrain’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 2/2018

Keywords: Bahrain, Citizenship, Irregularity, Labour Rights, Laws and Regulations, Migration, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Demography, Migration, and the Labour Market in the UAE

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 1/2018

Keywords: Family Reuni cation, Foreign Population, Human Rights, Identity, Migration Policy, National Population, Nationals and Foreign Labour, Second Generation, Statistics, United Arab Emirates, Work Conditions

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Possible Impact of Saudi Women Driving on Female Employment and Reliance on Foreign Workers

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 4/2017

Keywords: Domestic Workers, Female Employment, Laws & Regulations, National & Foreign Labour, Policy, Recruitment, Saudi Arabia

by Françoise De Bel-Air,Nasra M. Shah,Philippe Fargues,Usamah Alfarhan

Demography, Migration, and the Labour Market in Qatar

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 3/2017

Keywords: Family Reunification, Foreign Population, Human Rights, labour camp, Migration Policy, National Population, Nationals and Foreign Labour, Qatar, Second Generation, Sponsorship, Statistics

by Françoise De Bel-Air

United Arab Emirates’ Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 2/2017

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregularity, Labour Rights, Laws and Regulations, Migration, Sponsorship, Trafficking, UAE

by Maysa Zahra

Dangers of Using Aggregated Data for Understanding Socio-Demographic Realities of the Gulf Region

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 1/2017

Keywords: Bahrain, Foreign Labour, Foreign Population, Kuwait, National Labour, National Population, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Statistics, Total Fertility Rate, United Arab Emirates

by Nasra M. Shah

Qatar’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 2/2016

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregularity, Labour Rights, Laws and Regulations, Migration, Qatar, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Taxing Remittances: Consequences for Migrant Labour Populations in the GCC Countries

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 1/2016

Keywords: Bahrain, Foreign Labour, Kuwait, Oman, Policy, Qatar, Remittances, Saudi Arabia, Taxation, United Arab Emirates

by Froilan Malit, Jr. and George Naufal

A Note on Syrian Refugees in the Gulf: Attempting to Assess Data and Policies

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 11/2015

Keywords: Bahrain, Deportation, Family Reunification, Kuwait, Laws & Regulations, Oman, Politics, Qatar, Refugees, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates

by Françoise De Bel-Air

The Legal Framework of the Sponsorship Systems of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: a Comparative Examination

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 10/2015

Keywords: Bahrain, Foreign Labour, Kuwait; Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sponsorship, United Arab Emirates

by Maysa Zahra

Demography, Migration, and the Labour Market in Oman

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 9/2015

Keywords: Amnesty, Deportation, Foreign & National Populations, Foreign Population, Irregular Migration, Labour Market, National & Foreign Labour, Oman, Omanisation, Statistics

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Oman’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 8/2015

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregular Migration, Labour Rights, Laws & Regulations, Oman, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Demography, Migration, and the Labour Market in the UAE

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 7/2015

Keywords: Family Reunification, Foreign Population, Human Rights, Migration Policy, National & Foreign Labour, National Population, Second Generation, Statistics, United Arab Emirates

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Demography, Migration, and the Labour Market in Bahrain

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 6/2015

Keywords: Bahrain, Foreign & National Populations, Foreign Population, Labour Market, National & Foreign Labour, Naturalisation, Policy, Politics, Sponsorship

by Françoise De Bel-Air

United Arab Emirates’ Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 5/2015

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregular Migration, Labour Rights, Laws & Regulations, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Evaluating Financial Literacy training for Migrant Workers in the Gulf

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 4/2015

Keywords: Asia, Education, Gulf Cooperation Council, India, Low-skilled Labour, Qatar, Remittances

by Ganesh K. Seshan

The Socio- political Background and Stakes of ‘Saudizing’ the Workforce in Saudi arabia: the Nitaqat policy

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 03/2015

Keywords: Amnesty, Citizenship, Deportation, Foreign Population, Irregular Migration, National & Foreign Labour, National Population, Policy, Saudi Arabia, Saudisation, Statistics, Unemployment

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Current progress in the Nationalisation programmes in Saudi arabia

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 02/2015

Keywords: National & Foreign Labour, National Labour, Nationalisation Work Force, Saudisation, Unemployment

by Hend M. Alsheikh

Bahrain’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 01/2015

Keywords: Bahrain, Citizenship, Irregular Migration, Labour Rights, Laws & Regulations, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Ethnography, Anthropology and Migration to the Arabian Peninsula: Themes from an Ethnographic Research Trajectory

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 10/2014

Keywords: Arab countries, Foreign Labour, Low-skilled Labour, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Andrew M. Gardner

Recent Amnesty Programmes for Irregular Migrants in Kuwait and Saudi arabia: Some Successes and Failures

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 9/2014

Keywords: Amnesty, Irregular Migration, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

by Nasra M. Shah

Demography, Migration, and Labour Market in Qatar

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 8/2014

Keywords: Family Reunification, Foreign Population, Human Rights, Labour Gathering, National & Foreign Labour, National Population, Qatar, Second Generation, Sponsorship, Statistics

by Françoise De Bel-Air

The Legal Framework of the Sponsorship Systems of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait: a Comparative Examination

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 7/2014

Keywords: Foreign Labour, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sponsorship

by Maysa Zahra

Saudi Arabian Investor Class Visas: An Overview

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 6/2014

Keywords: Employer, Highly-Skilled Labour, Laws & Regulations, National & Foreign Labour, Saudi Arabia

by Arwa Aulaqi

The Story of Remittance Flows from the GCC Countries

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No. 5/2014

Keywords: Foreign Population, Gulf Cooperation Council, Labour Market, National & Foreign Labour, Nationalisation Work Force, Publications, Remittances, Statistics

by George S. Naufal, Ismail H. Genc

Essential yet Invisible: Migrant Domestic Workers in the GCC

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No.4/2014

Keywords: Domestic Workers, Female Employment, Laws & Regulations, Policy, Recruitment, Work Conditions

by Bina Fernandez

Arab Gulf States: Recruitment of Asian Workers

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No.3/2014

Keywords: Foreign Labour, Human Rights, Labour Market, Labour Rights, Laws & Regulations, Low-skilled Labour, Qatar, Recruitment, Trafficking, Visas & Fees

by Ray Jureidini

Data Discrepancies between the Census and Civil Registration Systems in Kuwait: Reasons, Implications and Solutions

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No.2/2014

Keywords: Foreign Population, Kuwait, National Population, Statelessness, Statistics

by Nasra M. Shah

Demography, Migration and Labour Market in Saudi Arabia

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No.1/2014

Keywords: Amnesty, Citizenship, Deportation, Foreign Population, Irregular Migration, National & Foreign Labour, National Population, Saudi Arabia, Saudisation, Statistics

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Saudi Arabia’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No.4/2013

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregular Migration, Labour Rights, Laws & Regulations, Saudi Arabia, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Kuwait’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No.3/2013

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregular Migration, Kuwait, Labour Rights, Laws & Regulations, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

Qatar’s Legal Framework of Migration

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No.2/2013

Keywords: Citizenship, Irregular Migration, Labour Rights, Laws & Regulations, Qatar, Sponsorship, Trafficking

by Maysa Zahra

The Demographic and Economic Framework of Migration in Kuwait

Type: Explanatory Note - GLMM - EN - No.1/2013

Keywords: Foreign Labour, Foreign Population, Kuwait, National Population, Policy, Statelessness, Statistics

by Françoise De Bel-Air

National and Foreign Populations in GCC Countries

Type: Factsheets - GLMM - EN - No. 13 / 2025

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Towards a Knowledge-based Labour Market in Saudi Arabia?

Type: Factsheets - GLMM - EN - No. 10/2024

by Françoise De Bel-Air

High-Skilled Employment and Vision 2030: How Education and Training for Saudi Youth Align with Saudi Labour Market Demands

Type: Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 20/2025

by Moneerah AlMahmoud

Adapting to Change The Potential Impact of Technology and Demography on the Saudi Labour Market

Type: Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 19/2025

by Sylvain Cote

Future Skills Needed and Profiles of Workers Ways to Maximise Productivity of Labour

Type: Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 18/2025

by Mehmet A. Soytas

India as A Prime Country of Origin for Highly Skilled Migration to the Gulf. Perspectives of a Paradigm Shift in Indian Immigration of Talent to UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar

Type: Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 17/2025

by Binod Khadria

Qatar’s Policy Landscape and its Impact on Highly Skilled Migration

Type: Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 10 / 2025

by Ameena Almeer, Misba Bhatti, Zahra Babar

Assets on the Move: Highly Skilled Migration from the Philippines to the Gulf

Type: Policy Brief - Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 16/2025

by Jorge Tigno and Geoffrey M. Ducanes

Trends, Patterns, and Policies Regarding Highly Skilled Migrant Workers from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE

Type: Policy Brief - Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 15/2025

by Nasra M. Shah and Memoona Qazi

Highly Skilled Migration from Egypt to the Gulf States

Type: Policy Brief - Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 14/2025

by Dina Abdel Fattah

Highly Skilled Migration from Tunisia to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. Trends, Drivers and Policies

Type: Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 13/2025

by Ali Belhaj

From Laissez-Faire to A Centralised State Approach? A Critical Policy Analysis of the UAE’s Attraction and Retention Approach Towards High-Skilled Migration in the Post-COVID-19 Era

Type: Policy Brief - GLMM - PB - No. 11/2025

by Froilan Malit, Jr

by Philippe Fargues, Françoise De Bel-Air, Nasra M. Shah

Research Papers

Measuring the impact of Covid-19 on migrant workers in the GCC and Jordan

Type: Research Paper - No. 1 - 2023

Keywords: Africa, Arab countries, Asia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Deportation, Domestic Workers, Egypt, Employment, Ethiopia, Foreign & National Populations, India, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Laws & Regulations, Living Conditions, Low-skilled Labour, Migration Policy, National & Foreign Labour, Nationalisation Work Force, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Residence Conditions, Return to Country of Origin, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Statistics, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Work Conditions

by Françoise De Bel-Air

Fertility Levels, Trends, and Differentials Among Kuwaiti Nationals

Type: Research Paper -

Keywords: Fertility, Kuwait, National Population

by Nasra M. Shah and Philippe Fargues

Working and Living Conditions of Low-Income Migrant Workers in the Hospitality and Construction Sectors in the United Arab Emirates

Type: Research Paper - GLMM - RR - No. 2/2019

by Philippe Fargues, Nasra M. Shah, Imco Brouwer

Working and Living conditions of Low-Income Migrant Workers in the hospitality and construction Sectors in Qatar

Type: Research Paper - GLMM - RR - No. 1/2019

by Philippe Fargues, Nasra M. Shah, Imco Brouwer

Wage Protection Systems and Programmes in the GCC

Type: Research Paper - GLMM - RR - No. 1/2017

Keywords: Foreign Labour, Labour Rights, Law and Regulations, Policy, Work Conditions

by Ray Jureidini

Arab Gulf States: An Assessment of Nationalisation Policies

Type: Research Paper - GLMM - RP - No. 1/2014

Keywords: Bahrain, Employment, Foreign & National Populations, Foreign Labour, Gulf Cooperation Council, Irregular Migration, Kuwait, Labour Market, Labour Rights, National Labour, Nationalisation Work Force, Policy, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sponsorship, Unemployment, United Arab Emirates, Visas & Fees, Work Conditions

by Steffen Hertog

Webinar Summaries

Highly Skilled Migration to Saudi Arabia: Labour Policy Reforms and the Global Competition for Talents

Type: Webinar Summaries - Webinar - No. 2 / 2025

Aging in the Gulf Countries and Implications for Migration to the Region Webinar Summary and Key Outcomes

Type: Webinar Summaries - Webinar 5 - 9 December 2024

Workshop Summaries

Gulf Research Center’s Meeting Investigates the Future of Labour and Migration to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf

Type: Workshop Summaries - Workshop Riyadh - 1-2 December 2024

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