Localizing the Private Sector Workforce in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Study of Kuwait

Abstract

The Gulf States have the highest numbers of migrant workers in the world (Shah, 2006). The rapid economic growth these states have witnessed over the last five decades has made them an attraction to foreign labor from around the world. This study explores the problem of the low rate of citizens working in the private sector in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, with a focus on the State of Kuwait. In order to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon under study, the problem is contextualized in the wider region by examining localization efforts in two other GCC countries: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia. Considering the similar demographical, economic, and social conditions among GCC countries, the study was conducted in the State of Kuwait.

Keywords:

• workforce localization
• Gulf States
• foreign labor
• private sector
• Kuwaitization