Twelfth Global Studies Conference

Abstract

Qatar, like many other Gulf states with abundant natural resources, is a rentier state. The absence of taxation further suggests that Qatari citizens’ political loyalty can be commoditized and purchased. In examining how rentier states affect democracy and sustainable development, I clarify several rentier state features of Qatari governance, analyzing in particular how these features have influenced the development of the Qatari domestic workforce. These issues are then critically analyzed to compare observed practices in the rentier state model with results of earlier studies. This paper employs three primary categories of evidence: (1) a quantitative analysis of past welfare provided to Qatari nationals, (2) a qualitative study identifying the citizens’ reactions to such a system and (3) a longitudinal in-depth investigation on the development of Qatar’s labor force before and after the implementation of Qatar National Vision 2030, and the rise of the new regime. In analyzing the effectiveness and significance of Qatar’s new efforts to develop a domestic workforce as part of an era of increasingly international business, this study is part of a growing body of research on the reform-minded emir Hamad bin Khalifa’s initiatives designed to implement sustainable development in Qatar.