ABU DHABI Ñ The Gulf Cooperation Council, already beset by a high
population rate, is encouraging its people to have larger families.
Gulf Arab envoys said the six GCC countries should increase their
population by offering incentives. The Gulf countries were urged to provide
cash bonuses and moral incentives.
A GCC conference in Abu Dhabi last month said Gulf Arab states require
large populations to ensure their defense. Speakers said the countries are
being flooded by expatriates, who assume most of the labor in the region.
The conference warned that the huge foreign labor force threatens the
Arab identity of Gulf states. Most of the laborers in GCC states are from
South Asia.
The GCC was also urged to stop young Arab men from marring foreign
women. Speakers cited the increasing population of single Arab women.
The conference also recommended new laws that would limit the use of
foreign servants to raise Arab children. GCC countries were advised to use
Gulf Arabs to staff nurseries and day care centers.
