Kafala System Remains Resilient in the GCC

Despite growing international scrutiny and pressure, the six governments of the Gulf Cooperation Council states — with the exception of recent overtures from Qatar — have been unable or unwilling to do away with the highly controversial kafala system. This is due to a combination of reasons — historical, economic and political — that will continue to impact these countries’ abilities to substantively change the kafala system in the short to medium term.