60 years ago, Qatar was a quiet British protectorate where pearl hunters and nomads were living; nowadays desert winds are blowing building sites’ cacophony in which strangers just are invisible workers.


Oil has literally changed this arid country thirsting for urbanization. In the desert, innumerable buildings are under construction by workers who are coming, by a majority, from South Asia.
In the desert, workers mainly coming from South Asia are building innumerable edifices. They have no access to social life and their living and working conditions are precarious.


Those men are literally used for their know-how. Influenced by their own country based hiring agencies, they are in sponsors’ charge (Kafils). Those sponsors receive a commission on their wages and decide on everything for them: housing, working place. The worker can’t resign or move without their permission.

“Modern slavery” expression implies that they could live in better conditions. But for Qatar workers, no changes are planned. They have no strike right, and are in the country temporarily. As family reunification is not allowed, they live alone, and have no contact with local population.

Workers represent 75% of the whole population, and are more numerous than the 375 000 Qataris. That is the reason why natives are forcing to use English to communicate with those new workers, each time more numerous.

Workers from Asia and India represent one third of the population. They are controlled by Europeans, and directed by Qataris. Some Arab communities (quarter of the population), attracted by numerous jobs, are increasing the immigrant worker population. In Qatar, all those men just are shadows intensively contributing to the ambitious Emirate building.