The (in)hospitality of Qatar for migrant women workers: A case study in the hospitality industry

Abstract

The hospitality industry in Qatar is rapidly expanding and heavily reliant on migrant labour to staff its hotels and restaurants, with women migrants forming an increasingly important part of the workforce. Global perceptions of Qatar as a location for female migrant workers are ambiguous: it is a patriarchal and traditional country, which limits women’s career opportunities, yet at the same time offers relatively high wages, low taxes and multiple job options for women in the hospitality industry. This study draws on an ethnographic study of migrant women workers in a five-star hotel in Doha to examine various ways in which they navigate this ambiguity and their perceptions and motivations for working and living in Qatar. Findings illustrate that the women in the study had positive perceptions of Qatar as a safe environment where they could earn money to send to support families back home. For many women from the Global South, Qatar offers a hospitable environment and the hospitality industry provides opportunities to capitalize on the benefits of migrating to work in Qatar, for both the individual worker and her wider family.