Because women are not seen as the main economic providers in the Gulf region, state policies on women and work, along with labor laws, often allow sex discrimination; moreover, social welfare systems do not give men and women equal access to welfare benefits. This lack of equal rights and access to state resources often results in second-class citizenship for women (Kandiyoti 1994).

Female employment in Gulf states is low due to the complex interaction of such factors as the oil-based political economy, patriarchal family structures, state policies, and a …