Impact of migration of Sri Lankan professionals to Qatar on skill acquisition and brain drain

Abstract

ABSTRACT Since the boom in the economies of Gulf countries in the mid-1970s, the region has gradually become an appealing destination for professional migrants. In the Gulf, professionals gain skills and knowledge which could be beneficial for their home countries. However, the majority of studies on professional migrants have only focused on those who migrate to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. This study on Sri Lankan professional migrants to Qatar attempts to address this dearth in literature by assessing the skills and long-term plans of Sri Lankan professionals in Qatar. The study is based on primary data gathered via in-depth interviews and an online survey of 125 Sri Lankan professionals based in Qatar. Drawing on the concepts of brain drain and brain gain and using a mixed-method analysis, the study identifies that the enhancement of communication, technical, managerial and other skills and the exposure to cutting-edge technologies by Sri Lankan professionals in Qatar are valuable for Sri Lanka. The study also identifies that the majority of Sri Lankan professionals in Qatar have prolonged their stay in the country. Moreover, a significant number of these professionals intend to migrate to OECD countries permanently without returning to Sri Lanka, which prevents the country from benefiting from their skills.