Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee Volume 6 Issue 1 Article 10 April 2015 Migrant Labor in the Arabian Gulf: A Case Study of Dubai, UAE Sara Hamza University of Tennessee, Knoxville,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/pursuit Recommended Citation Hamza, Sara (2015) "Migrant Labor in the Arabian Gulf: A Case Study of Dubai, UAE," Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee: Vol. 6 : Iss. 1 , Article 10. Available at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/pursuit/vol6/iss1/10 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Volunteer, Open Access, Library Journals (VOL Journals), published in partnership with The University of Tennessee (UT) University Libraries. This article has been accepted for inclusion in Pursuit - The Journal of Undergraduate Research at The University of Tennessee by an authorized editor. For more information, please visit https://trace.tennessee.edu/pursuit. Pursuit: The Journal of Undergraduate Research at the University of Tennessee Copyright © The University of Tennessee PURSUIT trace.tennessee.edu/pursuit Migrant Labor in the Arabian Gulf: A Case Study of Dubai, UAE SARA HAMZA Advisor: Dr. Tricia Hepner This research explores the topic of labor migration in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states – Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates -- and seeks to determine how the subjugation of migrant laborers is initiated and perpetuated. The kafala (sponsorship) system has played a central role in the rapid economic development in the GCC states. Though it has allowed the Gulf States to obtain the resources necessary to develop both economically and cosmetically, the system has had an array of undesirable byproducts that have significantly altered the texture of Gulf societies.