Domestic workers in Saudi Arabia who are reported as absconding will soon have a two-month grace period to leave the country before their status becomes irregular. Workers with over two years of service will have the additional option to transfer sponsorship.
Read MoreStarting next year, employer-provided health insurance coverage will be mandatory for all private-sector and domestic workers across the UAE, following a nationwide health insurance mandate ratified by the Emirati cabinet.
Read MoreKuwait’s Ministry of Interior recently announced a three-month amnesty period that allows residents with expired visas to adjust their irregular status after paying a fine, or leave the country without paying a fine.
Read MoreThe UAE’s amended labour litigation regulations came into force last month. The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation is now empowered to issue final executive decisions concerning individual labour disputes valued at AED 50,000 (US$ 13,613) or less.
Read MoreBahrain recently announced that only sponsored visit visas can be converted to work permits, and they must maintain the same sponsor who initially issued the visit visas. The fees for converting visit visas to work permits, visit visas to dependent visas, and dependent visas to work permits have also increased from BD 60 (159 US$) to BD 250 (663 US$).
Read MoreSeveral recent reports of Indian domestic workers trapped in Oman indicate that the Sultanate still has not addressed its rife trafficking issues.
Read moreKuwait recently resumed family visa applications for migrant residents. However, residents seeking to sponsor their family members must now earn a monthly salary of KD 800 (US$ 2,600) and possess a university certificate relevant to their job sector.
Read MoreBahrain has recently expanded its “Labour Registration Program” to include all irregular workers. Previously, only workers who became irregular before the program’s introduction on 27 October 2022 were eligible to apply.
Read MoreThe UAE’s registration deadline for its private mandatory unemployment insurance scheme officially closed on 1 October 2023. Workers who did not register by this date will face a fine of AED 400 (US$ 109). New workers who join the UAE’s labour force have four months to subscribe to the unemployment insurance scheme before incurring fines.
Read MoreBahrain has officially lifted its midday summer work ban. Starting today, workers labouring outdoors are no longer required to stop work during the hottest hours of the day, even as extreme temperatures and high humidity persist.
Read MoreIn a recent case, an Indian worker in Bahrain was arrested for damaging vehicles of the construction company that employed him, in protest against 10 months of unpaid wages. The worker’s desperate actions highlight the difficulty migrants face accessing justice in Bahrain and the shortcomings of recent reforms aimed at tackling wage theft.
Read MoreThe UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation recently announced new Emiratisation targets that require private sector companies with 20 to 49 employees to hire at least one UAE citizen in 2024 and a second citizen in 2025.
Oman’s Ministry of Labour recently issued a new Wage Protection System (WPS) directive for private sector workers. All private sector workers must be registered under the WPS by the 9th of March 2024.
Bahrain’s Capital Trustees Board recently approved recommendations to develop a unified system for collecting outstanding municipal fees and debts from migrants in Bahrain. Under the new system, migrants with unsettled municipality debts will not be allowed to leave the country or use government services.
Read MoreBahrain has proposed a new law aimed at regulating the recruitment of domestic workers, including a ceiling on recruitment fees and workers’ salaries.
