Women’s Leadership in Oil and Gas Industry in Qatar

Qatar’s economy is highly dependent on the Oil and Gas (O&G) industry, and thus the sustainability of this industry is a concern for the development of the country. Facing the currently low flow of candidates, where the majority are males, the industry is doomed to face a shortage of talented labor in the upcoming years. In order to fight labor shortage, encouraging talented women, who are currently a minority, to join the industry is a must. This research examines the gender gap and the obstacles women face when working in this industry. It analyzes the reasons why women shift from working in the O&G industry after few years, and maps the measures that could be taken to overcome some of these obstacles. In order to do so, previous studies on the subject were gathered, a survey was conducted in which participants were chosen exclusively from Qatari O&G industry, in addition to the experience of the researcher who herself is a Qatari woman currently working in Qatari O&G industry. Findings revealed major obstacles related to women, and socio-cultural norms and organizational internal policies, which men and women perceived differently. Several measures were suggested to break these barriers.