Making hay in the desert: a Bourdieuian lens on Western academics’ capital mobilisation in higher education in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates

Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of capital, this study deploys a relational perspective to examine how self-initiated expatriate academics from Europe, North America, and Australasia mobilise, convert and revalue economic, cultural, social and symbolic capital as they craft careers in the higher education sectors of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. By foregrounding the dynamic interplay of multiple capital forms, it challenges economistic assumptions of traditional human capital theory and elucidates the nuanced processes: Western academics strategically deploy various forms of capital to navigate local hierarchies, institutional logics, and sociocultural norms, with success contingent upon their ability to adapt their habitus and convert capital across diverse contexts. Rather than relying solely on formal credentials, these expatriate academics strategically leverage personal and professional networks (social capital), translate prestigious Western qualifications into locally recognised credibility (cultural and symbolic capital), and capitalise on enhanced remuneration and research resources (economic capital) to establish and advance their careers. This study contributes conceptual and empirical depth to scholarly understandings of skilled academic migration, foregrounding the agency of expatriate academics while accounting for the structural asymmetries of global academic labour markets.