Foreign Worker Dependence in the Gulf, and the International Oil Companies: 1910-50

Abstract

This article demonstrates that foreign worker dependence in the Gulf dates from the establishment of the oil industry in the early twentieth century. The composition of labor inflows were mainly determined by political and strategic, rather than commercial, concerns. Contrasting patterns of labor force composition evolved between those areas under British control, which imported labor from the Indian sub-continent, and the independent Saudi Arabia where labor was drawn from more diverse sources including the Italian settlers in Eritrea. Evidence of commercial-political tension over the employment of foreign workers, particularly Americans, is highlighted. Wages and conditions of employment are described.

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