Circular Migration and the Gulf States

In this chapter the authors assess the application of the circular migration framework to the six Gulf Cooperation Council member states of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman. By some estimations, the six GCC states comprise the third largest migratory destination in the contemporary world, and for decades these states have hosted large transient migrant populations that, in some manner or another, appear to fit the definition of circular migration. Through an analysis of migration to the Gulf States this chapter provides an empiri- cal contribution to the expanding discussion of circular migration. In this chapter the nexus between the Gulf migration system and the circular migration framework is configured around two focal points. After an overview of migration in the Gulf States, the authors first examine the policy frameworks that regulate and govern migration to the GCC. Second, using an ethnographic lens, the authors explore the experiences of the migrants at work in the region. They conclude with a discussion of the implications of promoting the circular migration framework in the region