Qatar: Failure to Pay Contractors Harms Migrant Workers

According to a report published by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on 14 December 2025, the failure of Qatari government clients and major companies to pay contractors on time is causing significant harm to thousands of migrant workers in the country. HRW documents how delayed and unpaid payments to subcontractors cascade down the construction supply chain, resulting in wage theft for the low-paid migrant workers at the bottom. The report alleges that these payment failures create forced-labor-like conditions, as workers are left without wages for months at a time while remaining unable to leave their jobs or change employers due to the restrictive kafala sponsorship system. According to HRW, government clients and large construction firms frequently withhold payments to smaller contractors, who in turn withhold wages from workers, leaving migrants vulnerable to exploitation, debt, and destitution. The report criticizes the ongoing impunity under Qatar's current leadership, arguing that authorities have failed to hold powerful companies accountable or to enforce meaningful timely-payment protections. HRW calls on the Qatari government to ensure that public and private clients pay contractors on schedule, to strengthen enforcement of wage protections, and to provide effective remedies for workers who have been denied pay. The findings are as reported by Human Rights Watch, which based its conclusions on worker interviews and review of payment records.