Arab migrant communities in the GCC : media and politics in the wake of the Arab uprisings

This volume provides a series of empirically dense analyses of the historical and contemporary dynamics of Arab intra-regional migration to the monarchies of the Persian Gulf, and unravels the ways in which particular social and cultural practices of Arab migrants interact with the host states. Among other things, specific contributions allow us to consider the socioeconomic and political factors that have historically shaped the character of the Arab migratory experience, the sorts of work opportunities that Arab migrants have sought in the region, what their work conditions and lived experiences have been, and whether we are able to discern any patterns of sociocultural integration for Arab non-nationals. Together, the contributions in this volume help unpick assumptions about the Gulf’s exceptionalism insofar as the study of global migration is concerned. Broader dynamics that undergird the causes, processes, and consequences of migration elsewhere in the world are at work in the Gulf region. Vast economic disparities, chronic political instability, linguistic and cultural affinities, and a jealous guarding of finite economic and citizenship benefits inform push and pull factors and integration possibilities in the Gulf region as they do elsewhere in the world. Recent scholarship continues to enrich our understanding of the phenomenon of labor migration to the Gulf. This book takes that understanding one step further, shedding light on one specific, and up until now largely understudied, community of migrants in the region. Long a recipient of migrants from its surrounding areas, the Arabian Peninsula today comprises a mosaic of communities of diverse ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious origins. For decades, while the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have housed and employed groups of migrants coming and going from Asia, Africa and the West, they have also served as home to the older, more settled communities that have come from neighbouring Arab states. Arab Migrant Communities in the GCC is a unique, original work of scholarship based on in-depth fieldwork shedding light on a topic both highly relevant and woefully understudied. It focuses on the earlier community of Arab immigrants within the GCC, who are among the politically most significant and sensitive of migrant groups in the region. Through its multi-disciplinary lenses of social history, cultural studies, economics, and political science, the book presents original data and provides analyses of the settlement and continued evolution of migrant Arab communities across the GCC, their work in and assimilation within host societies and labour markets, and their political, economic, social and cultural significance both to the GCC region and to their countries of origin. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgements 9 Contributors 11 List of Tables and Figures 19 1. Introduction 23 2. Working for the Neighbours: Arab Migrants in Qatar 41 3. Arab Migrant Teachers in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities 61 4. The Model Immigrant: Second Generation Hadramis in Kuwait and the Legacy of a ‘Good Reputation’ 87 5. The Egyptian ‘Invasion’ of Kuwait: Navigating Possibilities among the Impossible 107 6. The ‘Other Arab’ and Gulf Citizens: Mutual Accommodation of Palestinians in the UAE in Historical Context 133 7. Yemeni Irregular Migrants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Implications of Large Scale Return: An Analysis of Yemeni Migrants Returning from Saudi Arabia 155 8. An Emerging Trend in Arab Migration: Highly Skilled Arab Females in the GCC Countries 191 9. Highly Skilled Lebanese Transnational Migrants: A Kuwait Perspective 219 10. Sport Labour Migrant Communities from the Maghreb in the GCC 239 11. Attitudes of Students in the GCC Region towards the Arab Spring: A Case Study of Students in the UAE 257 Appendix: Survey of Students’ Attitudes in the GCC Towards the Arab Spring (November 2013) 269 Notes 273 Index 319 Content: Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Contributors List of Tables and Figures 1. Introduction 2. Working for the Neighbours: Arab Migrants in Qatar 3. Arab Migrant Teachers in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar: Challenges and Opportunities 4. The Model Immigrant: Second Generation Hadramis in Kuwait and the Legacy of a 'Good Reputation' 5. The Egyptian 'Invasion' of Kuwait: Navigating Possibilities among the Impossible 6. The 'Other Arab' and Gulf Citizens: Mutual Accommodation of Palestinians in the UAE in Historical Context 7. Yemeni Irregular Migrants in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Implications of Large Scale Return: An Analysis of Yemeni Migrants Returning from Saudi Arabia8. An Emerging Trend in Arab Migration: Highly Skilled Arab Females in the GCC Countries 9. Highly Skilled Lebanese Transnational Migrants: A Kuwait Perspective 10. Sport Labour Migrant Communities from the Maghreb in the GCC 11. Attitudes of Students in the GCC Region towards the Arab Spring: A Case Study of Students in the UAE Appendix: Survey of Students' Attitudes in the GCC Towards the Arab Spring (November 2013) Notes