Why do Qatari officials prefer foreigners to nationals? asked Mariam l-Saad, a columnist writing from Qatar for the independent website Ekhbariat. “Why do they give them the highest salaries, free housing and luxurious cars, while Qataris watch bitterly?’’
The column expresses the sentiment of many Qatari nationals who make up only 20 per cent of the 1m population, at a time when the country’s fortunes are attracting an increasing number of foreigners.
