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Qatar Sets Out Labor Law Reforms
May 19, 2014
Changes in Qatar's labor law code may be realized sooner as amendments of the highly-criticized Qatari Labor Law are announced.
Qatar's Ministry of Interior, through a press conference, has declared the following key points to be amended in Qatar's labor law:
- kafala or sponsorship system will be abolished
- issuance of NOC will be abolished
- exit visa/permit will be abolished
- employer should not withhold the employee's passport during his fulfillment of contract
- no employment ban should be imposed to an employee after he fulfills his contract.
Now, what are the amendments?
- instead of the sponsorship system, employees will now be subjected to contractual set-up, whether in a definite/fixed term or indefinite term of service.
- The employee can now transfer to a new job within Qatar without the need to request a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the previous employer.
- the exit visa will no longer be required when one wants to leave Qatar, unless he wants to permanently leave, he can be issued a permanent exit visa.
- employers who withhold employees'passports will be fined QR 50,000 instead of the previous QR 10,000.
- employees who have fulfilled their contract can find a new job in Qatar immediately without exiting the country first and going back for a new job.
Date of implementation of the amendments is yet to be announced, but the State of Qatar will be making regular announcements in the coming months of details of the legislation.
