I have written several times about national security and foreign labour. I would like to remind policymakers in our country again that our national security is in danger and that we, as citizens, have a national obligation to safeguard the various dimensions of this security. Each of us should do this in his/her own place.
I may presume that wired and wireless communications are the nerve centre of any security system, besides the role of armed forces and the education system, which plays a central role in this regard. The whole thing depends not only on good teaching staff but also on the school curricula.
When it comes to the wired and wireless communications sector, we hardly find Qatari nationals, with most of them expatriate workers, very few of whom are Arabs. Qataris can only be found in higher administrative positions. But I am sorry to say that these people have nothing to do with what happens on the ground or in the field. Their role is limited to reviewing reports related to delivery of service to subscribers.
What is also noticeable is that Arab workers are making themselves scarce in this field, even as they are present in abundance outside it. True, it is not easy to find Qatari labour specialising in communications. But if we encourage Qataris to work in this field I think we can find some Qataris who are ready to do this job.
What made me write on this topic again is an article I read in the Qatari newspaper Al Arab on May 27. The newspaper wrote about the postponement of the trial of foreigners accused of spying on Qatar. These foreigners are from an East Asian country and one of them used to work for the intelligence service in his country before coming to Qatar. The defendant in the trial used to work as a budget and contract supervisor in a major company in Qatar.
The newspaper reported that investigations had shown that the Asian worker had leaked important information about the Qatari company he worked with, its future projects, local and international investments as well as information about senior officials and the minutes of some meetings.
He leaked all this information to a foreign agency, which harmed the company and caused it huge losses which ultimately also harmed Qatar’s economy and its international standing.
The worker also managed to leak information about Qatar Emiri Air Force to an intelligence officer from the East Asian country. All these details and more were mentioned in the article.
This worker, however, was not alone. Two other people working as technicians for government institutions also worked with him. These two workers offered the first worker the information he needed.
What I want to say is that in such cases information that is concealed is far more dangerous than what is revealed. The three defendants had managed to leak documents to a foreign intelligence agency.
This brings me to the perils entailed in the presence of foreign labour in the communications sector in our country. These people can eavesdrop on the calls of senior government officials and various state agencies. They can also spy on computers, bank accounts and the Central Bank of Qatar, and herein lies the danger.
Now, how can we get out of this closed circle? Qatari labour is not available, and if we find it, skills and knowledge will most likely be unavailable. Some nationals also refuse to do such jobs.
The solution to this problem, I think, is that some honest Arabs have been living with us with their families for tens of years. Most of these people were born in Qatar. I also think that these people do not have any other homeland. They were brought up here, received their education and have lived here with their families, and this is why they have a feeling of affiliation with this country.
These workers and their families should be given permanent residence in Qatar. Most of these people do not do a specific job. Why do we not benefit from these people? If they commit a mistake, we can punish them as we do Qatari nationals who do not protect the security of their country.
By doing this, we can achieve two goals: first, we can reduce dangers emanating from the large-scale presence of foreign labour. Second, we will benefit from labour available in our country, given the fact that these people know our traditions and will surely cherish what they gain here. This will ultimately help us reduce our dependence on foreign labour.
In conclusion, I want to say that the whole region is experiencing exceptional conditions regarding security. This is why we should turn to our Arab brothers living here with us and integrate them into our society so that they can use their knowledge and skills to help this country in a way that brings about the desired security and stability for our country and a life of dignity for their families.
