Seize the Spotlight: A Case for Gulf Cooperation Council Engagement in Research on the Effects of Labor Migration

Labor migration to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has massive effects on the GCC, the countries migrants come from, and the migrants themselves and their families. Yet existing research on the effects of Gulf migration is marked by its extreme scarcity, reliance on descriptive anecdote, and origination outside the Gulf. In this essay, a new kind of research agenda on the effects of GCC migration is described and offer an example of the approach. Gulf-based think tanks and other institutions have a major opportunity to seize the spotlight for research in this increasingly important area, meet a global demand for such research, and raise their international profile. [CGD Essay].