Gulf states talks on replacing foreign labor with local and Arab labor
Gulf, Economics, 10/21/1999

Arab Gulf industrialists on Tuesday opened a conference in Doha to discuss means of replacing the foreign labor force, which constitutes the majority in the six Arab Gulf Cooperation Council states, with the local labor force, gradually.

Qatari Minister of Energy and Industry Abdullah Bin Hamad al-Ateyah asserted in the inaugural speech the "importance of the role played by the national labor force in maintaining industrial development in the six Arab Gulf Cooperation Council member states." But he said, "Relying on foreign labor force is still necessary and is a must due to their economic privileges, especially in the private industrial sector."

Meanwhile, the assistant secretary general for economic affairs in the GCC, Ajlan al-Kawari, said the volume of "labor force in the industrial sector reached in 1998 some 570,000 persons who work in more than 7,240 factories in the six GCC member states." He did not specify the percentage of foreigners in the total labor force.

But the Qatari Gulf Times daily said last July that, "Foreigners in 1997 occupied 85% out of 500,00 jobs, provided by more than 7,000 factories in the Gulf states."

Previous Stories:
  Discussions between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Alafta   (10/19/1999)
  US urges Gulf states to undertake economic reforms, and to approach Israel   (10/18/1999)
  Trade arbitration on agenda of Gulf states trade ministers meeting   (10/8/1999)

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