Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Because the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries rely heavily on migrant labor and because rates of occupational injury and fatality in these countries are far greater than industrially advanced countries, work injury compensation policies in the GCC countries present compelling case studies. Migrant workers receive fewer legal protections than native workers almost everywhere in the world, but this gap in legal protection is especially stark in the GCC countries. This paper analyzes work injury compensation policies in the GCC countries and assesses how well they protect the labor force that is primarily comprised of migrant workers. It focuses on the benefits to which injured workers and their beneficiaries are entitled and compares them against benefits awarded in other countries with similar labor composition and economy.