The Changing Landscape of Human Resource Management in a Qatarization Environment: A Literature Review

Qatarization is Qatar’s long-term human development strategy. From this agenda, the research covers public policies and reports to review how Qatarization is derived as a development strategy. The study attempts to answer the research question: “what is the role of Qatarization in facilitating human development?” The author posits that understanding the concept of Qatarization at an organizational level is significant in the implementation to support Qatar’s human development strategies. Following an integrative literature review, the paper scans literature on Qatarization practices in the country with a relatively high proportion of migrant workers due to its small native population. Although the current practices of workforce localization vary in general and the implementation is relatively inadequate, it is asserted that Qatarization has immense potential in facilitating the human capital development of the country. Therefore, Qatar needs to strategize upon institutionalization of Qatarization to realize the goals of building a knowledgeable and motivated workforce through HRD. Conceding that research on Qatarization in the context of HRM is less explored. This study is a significant contribution to the existing literature pertaining to the roll-out of workforce localization in developing countries.