Exploring the Nexus between Highly-Skilled Migrants, the Kafala System, and Development in the UAE
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 16908643 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Martin Hvidt (0000-0003-2148-6970, Corvid Technologies (United States), corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 75-91 |
| Publication date | 2019-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Arabian Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2153-4764 • E-ISSN: 2153-4780 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21534764.2019.1649827 |
| OpenAlex | W2979860189 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 19 |
| References cited | 21 |
This article explores the nexus between immigration of highly-skilled persons and economic growth in the Arab Gulf states, until now a significantly understudied topic. It is argued that long-term growth primarily stems from technological progress and the article conducts a qualitative analysis of the degree to which the group of highly skilled migrants contributes to technological progress. The paper focusses on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but reflects general issues pertaining to the Arab Gulf states. It concludes that the policy framework that manages the migration system, the so-called Kafala (sponsorship) system, indeed has positive effects, namely that it ensures that all migrants are in employment and the skills of the migrants complement rather than overlap with the skills of the locals. However, asymmetric power balance between sponsor and migrant, the built-in inflexibility in relation to job mobility, and the lack of a broader sense of inclusion in the hosting country all diminish the contribution of the highly-skilled migrants to these economies. A culture of transience prevails which leads to short term thinking, less innovation and less likelihood of entrepreneurship. Finally, the article finds that due to demographic realities, lack of incentives for the migrants to pursue knowledge transfer and the general educational level in society, transfer of technology most likely takes place from one migrant to the next, thereby bypassing the local population
Demographic economics · Development economics · Economic geography · Economic growth · Economics · Entrepreneurship · Immigration · Incentive · Inclusion (mineral · Market economy · Nexus (standard · Political science · Population · Power (physics · Sociology · Gender Studies · Migration and Labor Dynamics · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Socioeconomic Development in MENA
Dangerous destinations
Refugees but not Refugees
Arab identity and attitudes toward migration in Kuwait and Qatar
Skilled migration to emerging economies
Crisis or Contentment? A Mixed-Method Exploration of Psychosocial Factors Influencing Meaning in Life During Midlife
Highly Skilled Migrant Workers in the GCC as Modern Corporate Janissaries
Beyond Hashtags
Camels and Cosmopolitanism
Bargaining Power
The middle-class Pakistanis’ experience of everyday integration in Dubai
The impact of “Nitaqat” on Indian high-skilled migration to Saudi Arabia
Dubai is a transit lounge”
Temporary togetherness
Distinction by design
The Social Construction of Skill in International Migration
The 'Local Turn' and Everyday Integration. The Pakistani Middle-Class Migrants in Dubai
Assessing the Labor Conditions of Migrant Domestic Workers in the Arab Gulf States
The economic and psychological impact of Covid-19 on highly skilled Indian migrants
When citizenship is off the table
Limits of citizenship
International Migration in the Age of Crisis and Globalization
A Political Economy of the Middle East
Walls Built on Sand
Recuiting “Super Talent”
U nemployment in the G ulf
Academic Staff in the UAE
International knowledge mobility and urban development in rapidly globalizing areas
Redefining the “Highly Skilled”
Leapfrogging Into the Knowledge Economy
The State and the Knowledge Economy in the Gulf
From knowledge transfer to learning
Integrating Highly Skilled Migrants into the Economy
Im/mobile highly skilled migrants in Qatar
Migration and aspirations - are migrants trapped on a hedonic treadmill
The wider economic impacts of high-skilled migrants
Skilled migrants and labour market integration
Migration and the Labour Market
| Unique citing works | 19 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3,8 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 19 |