Migrant Workers in the Gulf
The oil price explosion of the early 1970s triggered a massive wave of labour migration into the oil-rich states of the Gulf. The migrants came from poorer Arab countries, from Asia and Africa, attracted by wage levels considerably higher than they could earn in their homelands. Some came on short-term contracts, others stayed many years. By the end of the 1980s, there were thought to be over 6 million migrant workers in the region.
Please note that the terminology in the fields of minority rights and indigenous peoples’ rights has changed over time. MRG strives to reflect these changes as well as respect the right to self-identification on the part of minorities and indigenous peoples. At the same time, after over 50 years’ work, we know that our archive is of considerable interest to activists and researchers. Therefore, we make available as much of our back catalogue as possible, while being aware that the language used may not reflect current thinking on these issues.
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