Member News

United Arab Emirates

21 May 2024 - New 10-Year Blue Residency Visa for Exceptional Environmental Contributions Forthcoming

The United Arab Emirates Cabinet has approved a new, long-term, self-sponsored visa category called the Blue Residency visa. When available, the new visa will allow foreign nationals who have made exceptional contributions toward protecting the environment to reside and work in the United Arab Emirates for up to 10 years. Foreign nationals will be able to submit their Blue Residency visa applications directly through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security electronic portal or through nominations by competent authorities. Further details on the Blue Residency visa are expected to be available in the coming months. The Blue Residency visa aligns with the UAE government announcement that 2024 will be the “Year of Sustainability” in the country and follows numerous initiatives to introduce long-term residency visas in the country since 2019.

22 May 2024 - UAE Nationals with Three Years Private Sector Experience Prioritized for Public Sector Jobs

UAE nationals with a minimum of three years of private sector work experience will be given priority over other UAE nationals when applying for positions in the public sector. As a result, private sector experience will now be considered a crucial factor in the selection process for already competitive positions in the public sector. This change in policy will encourage UAE nationals to work in the private sector to gain work experience and knowledge prior to working for the government and will allow the government to better filter out qualified candidates for their workforce. This policy aligns with other government initiatives to encourage UAE nationals to pursue private sector jobs, such as increasing Emiratization rates for the private sector.

06 June 2024 - Reminder of Upcoming Deadline for Mainland Private Sector Employers to Increase Emiratization Rate

Mainland companies in the private sector in the United Arab Emirates with 50 or more employees are reminded that they must increase their current Emiratization rate by an additional 1% by June 30, 2024, per the 2023 announcement by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE). Under this policy, by June 30, 2024, all eligible companies must have an Emiratization percentage of at least 5%. Companies which have a higher Emiratization rate must still increase their percentage by 1% on June 30, 2024. Employers who fail to comply with the prescribed Emiratization target will be subject to fees of AED 8,000 (approximately USD 2,178) per month for every vacancy that has not been filled by an Emirati worker in 2024; this number will increase by AED 1,000 per month each year after 2024. Affected companies must ensure that they correct their Emiratization rate in line with the requirements to avoid incurring monthly fees and possible portal blocks which can interrupt the recruitment of employees. The increase in Emiratization rates dates back to a 2022 announcement by the MOHRE which required private sector employers in the mainland with more than 50 employees to increase the percentage of Emirati employees, which was followed by a 2023 announcement which implemented even stricter Emiratization requirements. Companies are encouraged to register with the UAE government partnership program, “Nafis”, where they can find initiatives that support companies seeking to hire UAE nationals.

SAUDI ARABIA

17 May 2024 - Deadline Imposed to Update Branch Location Information on the Qiwa Platform

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development is requiring all private sector businesses to update their branch location on the Qiwa platform by specific deadlines which are dependent on the size of the company. Specifically, companies must log into the Qiwa platform, select the Location Management Service, and provide branch location information, such as the branch’s address, by the following deadlines: May 30, 2024, for companies with 20 or fewer employees; June 30, 2024, for companies with 21 to 49 employees; or July 30, 2024, for companies with 50 or more employees. Companies failing to do so will face a financial penalty, details of which have not yet been released. The initiative highlights MHRSD’s commitment to maintaining an accurate and up-to-date database in order to promote transparency and streamline monitoring operations. 

05 June 2024 - E-Visa for Tourism Expanded to Nationals of the Bahamas, Barbados and Grenada

Effective immediately, nationals from the following three additional countries are now eligible to apply for an e-visa for tourism through the online portal: the Bahamas, Barbados and Grenada. Generally, e-visas are issued via email to foreign nationals between 30 minutes and 48 hours from the time of application submission; however, depending on the individual’s nationality, issuance can take up to two weeks. The foreign national must then present the e-visa upon arrival in Saudi Arabia. Alternatively, they can apply for a visa-on-arrival at Saudi airports; however, they are advised to apply for the e-visa in advance as the visa-on-arrival can involve a lengthy process on arrival. The e-visa for tourism is multiple-entry and permits entry to Saudi Arabia for stays up to a cumulative 90 days within a year for tourism-related activities, visiting with friends and relatives, and performing Umrah. Other activities are not permitted. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, their passports must have at least six months validity from the date of entry, and they must have no previous immigration bans from Saudi Arabia or any other Gulf Cooperation Council country. The cost of the e-visa will vary depending on nationality. These nationals will benefit from an easier process to enter Saudi Arabia for these activities as previously, they were required to apply for visas via their respective Saudi consular posts which is a much lengthier process and requires an in-person appearance. The e-visa for tourism has been continuously expanded since it launched in 2019. First, in July 2023, it was extended to individuals with permanent residence in, or business or tourist visas from, the United States, the United Kingdom and several other countries. In October 2023, it was further expanded to nationals of Mauritius, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Seychelles, Thailand and Türkiye.

QATAR

17 May 2024 - Ministry of Labour Portal Update Improves Employment Sponsorship Transfer Process

The Qatari authorities have implemented a new procedure for the authentication of employment contracts in Qatar, and have updated the Ministry of Labour (MOL) portal to accommodate these changes. As per the new procedure, residence permit holders must register on the National Authentication System (NAS) to facilitate employment contract authentication. The NAS is used to verify the digital identity of individuals for the purpose of using the e-government services in a secure manner. Previously, only authorised representatives of the Qatari employer could register employment contracts, and on a different portal – the MOL portal. As background, when Qatar introduced the ‘E-Contract System’ in November 2023, it was not clear if the system replaced the need to digitally sign the employment contract, or if it was an additional step in the process. It is now clear that this electronic process replaces physical signatures for existing employees, allowing employees to validate their signatures digitally (through the NAS as described above). However, new employees must still provide physical signatures and upload their employment contract to the portal, as they do not yet possess a residence permit with their signature (the signature is automatically inserted into the contract based on the signature in the residence permit, upon approval of the contract). The new process is expected to simplify and speed up the employment contract registration process for existing employees, replacing physical signatures with digital verification. However, employers should plan for delays during the initial roll out of the system due to implementation issues associated with a new online system and system upgrades, which may cause slower processing times. The Qatari authorities have implemented a new procedure for the authentication of employment contracts in Qatar, and have updated the Ministry of Labour (MOL) portal to accommodate these changes. As per the new procedure, residence permit holders must register on the National Authentication System (NAS) to facilitate employment contract authentication. The NAS is used to verify the digital identity of individuals for the purpose of using the e-government services in a secure manner. Previously, only authorised representatives of the Qatari employer could register employment contracts, and on a different portal – the MOL portal. As background, when Qatar introduced the ‘E-Contract System’ in November 2023, it was not clear if the system replaced the need to digitally sign the employment contract, or if it was an additional step in the process. It is now clear that this electronic process replaces physical signatures for existing employees, allowing employees to validate their signatures digitally (through the NAS as described above). However, new employees must still provide physical signatures and upload their employment contract to the portal, as they do not yet possess a residence permit with their signature (the signature is automatically inserted into the contract based on the signature in the residence permit, upon approval of the contract). The new process is expected to simplify and speed up the employment contract registration process for existing employees, replacing physical signatures with digital verification. However, employers should plan for delays during the initial roll out of the system due to implementation issues associated with a new online system and system upgrades, which may cause slower processing times.

29 May 2024 - New Requirement to Settle Traffic Fines Prior to Exit from Qatar

Effective September 1, 2024, all individuals in Qatar with outstanding traffic violations will be prohibited from exiting Qatar through any borders until all fines and outstanding payments are settled. Individuals can settle these fines and outstanding payments through either the Mettrash 2 application, Ministry of Interior website, traffic departments or unified service centers. Further, the government will be granting a 50% discount on the cost of traffic violations recorded in the past three years which are settled between June 1 and August 31, 2024, as an incentive to settle these fines earlier. As a result, all individuals traveling to or residing in Qatar should be aware of this new requirement, which may delay any attempts to exit from the country.

BAHRAIN

16 May 2024 - Changes Implemented to the End-of-Service Gratuity System for Foreign National Employees

Effective immediately, employers are now required to send the monthly end-of-service contributions for their foreign national employees to Bahrain’s Social Insurance Organisation (SIO) electronic portal within the first 15 days of each month. Previously, employers would set aside monthly contributions internally and provide a lump sum payment to employees at the end of their tenure. Therefore, the SIO, instead of the employer, is now responsible for disbursing the end-of-service gratuities accumulated by employees at the end of the employee’s employment. According to the new procedures related to the new process, employers must now provide up-to-date salary information for their foreign national employees via the SIO portal and must update employee information in the event of any remuneration adjustments. Gratuity is still calculated at 4.2% of the employee’s monthly salary for the first three years, increasing to 8.4% for the following years until the end of employment. For employees with over three years of service before the effective date, the employer’s contributions will be 8.4%. Employers must continue to cover their employees’ end-of-service contributions even when their employees are temporarily seconded to other employers. Additionally, the employer remains responsible for paying the gratuity to the employee for any years of service prior to the effective date of the new system (March 1, 2024). Employers who fail to comply with these rules will be subject to fines. These changes aim to protect employees from the risk of employers failing to pay out their end-of-service entitlements upon termination or resignation.

KUWAIT

17 May 2024 - Deadline for Mandatory Fingerprinting Extended for Citizens and Residents

The Ministry of Interior has extended the deadline to complete the mandatory biometric fingerprinting process to September 30, 2024, for Kuwaiti citizens, and to December 30, 2024 for all other Kuwait residents, including citizens of other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

MIDDLE EAST

15 May 2024 - Additional Details Released on Forthcoming GCC Grand Tours Unified Tourist Visa

The UAE Minister of Economy recently announced additional details regarding the forthcoming unified Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) tourist visa at the Arabian Travel Market, including its official name, the “GCC Grand Tours”, among other details. The visa is expected to be available by the end of 2024. The GCC Grand Tours is expected to allow foreign nationals to travel on one multi-entry tourist visa throughout within the six GCC member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). It has not yet been announced how long foreign nationals will be able to stay in the GCC countries for on the GCC Grand Tours visa, but it is expected to be longer than the 30-day tourism maximum currently permitted in many of these countries. 

ABOUT FRAGOMEN

Fragomen is a leading firm dedicated to immigration services worldwide. The firm has nearly 5,500 professionals and staff in 62 offices located in the Americas, Asia Pacific and EMEA. Overall, Fragomen offers support in more than 170 countries. 

We are structured to support all aspects of global immigration, including strategic planning, efficiency, quality management, compliance, government relations, reporting, and case management and processing. These capabilities allow us to represent a broad range of companies, organizations and individuals, working in partnership with clients to facilitate the transfer of employees worldwide. 

Our Middle East and North Africa (MENA) practice also provides corporate services, including social security assistance, end-to-end corporate setup, corporate secretarial services, corporate amendments, restructuring activities and more. Our corporate services and immigration professionals have extensive experience working with multinational businesses, conglomerates, local employers, start-ups and individual investors. We have a deep understanding of the MENA region and maintain strong professional relationships with relevant authorities. 

To learn more about how we can assist you, please visit our website at www.fragomen.com or contact us at [email protected]