EXPATRIATE WORK FORCE IN THE GULF COOPERATIVE COUNCIL [GCC] COUNTRIES: A SHORT PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The Gulf Cooperative Council (GCC) countries [Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates] have been an attraction for expatriate workforces over the last few decades.  The prime reasons behind this trend are the promise of tax-free expat salary packages, exciting and dynamic job markets and promise of high quality of life and attractive savings. Existence of huge manpower resources with much lower incomes and higher unemployment rates in the vicinity of the GCC countries and closeness of cultural aspects have been an additional reason for influx of expat workforce to these countries. Owing to booming economy in the GCC countries, various types of workforces tend to come here from various Afro-Asian countries with a vast majority from the Indian Sub-Continent. We have tried to find and analyze the most probable causes attributing to this trend. The present investigation might be useful for all concerned with HR sectors inside the GCC countries and elsewhere.