ABSTRACT
The authors establish that the doctoral mother-students are meeting their educational and maternal obligations, while navigating the pandemic by "applying a multitasking regime" to their daily routines and comparing themselves metaphorically to the proverbial "octopus," trying to do multiple things simultaneously. [...]Janardhan delves into the pandemic-induced disruptions in the rules of engagement between the governments in the Gulf region and the expatriate population, including women. [...]Dr. Olimat's article on the Geopolitics of North Africa examines the impact of the geopolitical factors of the region on state's response to the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Unlike migration in many parts of the world, foreign workers in the Gulf region were subject to the 'Conditional Migrant Integration Model' to avoid granting of certain rights that would alter the prevalent socio-economic-political fabric. This ensured that expatriates remain in a state of "permanent impermanence". However, amid a combination of factors-transition from oil to post-oil economy, economic slowdown, and intra-regional economic competition-Covid19 has served as a disruptor of the rules of engagement between the regional governments and the expatriate population, including women. Recognizing the benefits of retaining talented and wealthy expatriates, some of the Gulf countries have rolled out multiple strategies, including reforming the Kafala system, offering longer durations of residence, and even potential citizenship, which is viewed as "conditional inclusion". Using a combination of empirical data from secondary sources, laced with anecdotal evidence, this research paper delves into these changes, analyzes their impact on the future of Gulf expatriates and their contracts with their governments, assesses the impact on the delicate citizen-expatriate alignment, as well as the contradictions in some of these measures, especially nationalization of the workforce.