Qatar Bans Calligraphy Technicians, Bakers, Nannies, And More From Driving

In 2013, the tiny, mega-rich Middle East Gulf country of Qatar developed a list of people who would be banned from getting a driver’s license in the country based on their occupation. The ban has now been expanded to exclude even more workers from being able to drive.

In a quest to relieve the congestion on its roads, the government of Qatar decided the best way to deal with the situation is to ban thousands upon thousands of migrant workers in roughly 162 occupation categories from getting behind the wheel of a car, according to the Qatar Scoop.

The extensive (and at times bizarre) list includes: Gypsum worker, watchman, horse trainer, labourer, sailor, servant, nanny, farmer, blacksmith, bakery worker, painter, herdsman, fisherman, tailor, calligraphy technician, shoemaker, grocery worker, tiles worker, builder, butcher, nutrition worker, industrial service worker, hotel service worker, financial services worker, vegetable seller, plumber, land shipment worker, jeweller, air cargo worker, cook, typist, boat carpenter, beauty salon worker, welder, translator, etc.

As it is, getting a driver’s license in Qatar for first time drivers or those who received a license in a country not on the approved list, is a difficult process with lengthy wait times for driving schools. The Gulf Times reports that an average of 35 people per day takes the driver test, with only a few of hopeful drivers actually getting their Qatar drivers licenses. Waits for retests can be months.

The ban issued by the Qatar government will pose a great problem in a country where the public transportation system is unreliable and underdeveloped, and taxi services are strained.

In the lead up to Qatar hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the country is on a massive development kick, building infrastructure and stadiums to accommodate the event. In order to do this, however, Qatar has had to bring in a massive influx of migrant workers (making up an estimated 90 percent of the country’s population). However, this influx of workers means existing resources are taxed to the limit.

Qatar’s human rights record when it comes to the treatment of foreign workers is already dismal, so putting these driver restrictions on the vast majority of them will only help to make their life worse. As it is in Qatar, the movement of many workers and labourers is restricted, with single male labourers in particular being banned from malls, many public parks and “tourist” areas.

Back in 2013, The Guardian started to recognize the problem that exists in Qatar, reporting how migrant labourers in particular are mistreated and abused in the country. They quote a 27-year-old worker named Ram Kumar Mahara describing his experiences of abuse and mistreatment.

“We were working on an empty stomach for 24 hours; 12 hours’ work and then no food all night. When I complained, my manager assaulted me, kicked me out of the labour camp I lived in and refused to pay me anything. I had to beg for food from other workers.”

Many workers in a variety of positions in Qatar are treated as near slaves, having their passports taken away, not able to leave the country (workers need permission from their employer and the government to leave the country for any reason), not being paid for months at a time, living in squalid conditions, and being forced to work in terrible and dangerous situations, including working in the brutal summertime heat in Qatar can reach 50 degrees Celsius.

Aidan McQuade, director of Anti-Slavery International, a group that dates back to 1839, paints a dismal picture for many of the hundreds of thousands of workers that have made their way to Qatar, and those who might decide to go there.

“…these working conditions and the astonishing number of deaths of vulnerable workers go beyond forced labour to the slavery of old where human beings were treated as objects. There is no longer a risk that the World Cup might be built on forced labour. It is already happening.”

Taking away the ability for many workers to get behind the wheel through this ban is just another indignity being heaped on those in lower paying jobs in Qatar where they are too often exploited and mistreated as it is.

[Feature image Sean Gallup/Getty Images]