Member News

United Arab Emirates

21 May 2025 - Reminder of 2025 Deadline for Mainland Private Sector Employers to Increase Emiratization Rate

Private sector mainland companies 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, 2025. Under this policy, by June 30, 2025, all eligible companies must have an Emiratization percentage of at least 7%. Companies which have a higher Emiratization rate must still increase their percentage by 1% on June 30, 2025.

A fine of AED 9,000 per month will apply for each position filled by a foreign national when it should be filled by an Emirati per the Emiratization rules. In 2026, this fine will increase by AED 1,000. Businesses may also be blocked from using government por-tals, affecting the recruitment of employees.

16 June 2025 - New Automated Pension and Social Security Registration & End-of Service Gratuity Process Introduced

The General Pension and Social Security Authority has introduced an automated system for mainland private sector companies to facilitate employee pension and social security registration and end-of service gratuity disbursement requests. The new process is designed to streamline registration and end-of-service gratuity procedures.

SAUDI ARABIA

12 June 2025 - Temporary Hold on ‘Block Work Visa Quotas’ for Certain Nationalities

The temporary hold on block work visa quotas has been lifted for nationals of Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Tunisia, and Yemen. Additionally, in practice, affected nationals holding valid work entry visas who are yet to travel to Saudi Arabia to complete their residency process are permitted to travel to and enter the country. Affected individuals are advised to confirm their travel eligibility with their airline prior to departure.

MOROCCO

13 June 2025 - Bilateral Visa Waiver Agreement Implemented

Effective immediately, nationals of Ghana no longer require a visa to enter Morocco for business or tourism and vice versa. The duration of stay under this visa exemption has not yet been announced. Note that nationals of Ghana must obtain an electronic travel authorization through the online government portal ’Accès Maroc’ prior to arrival, which is issued within 24 hours of application. The visa waiver is intended to attract tourism and promote investment in the respective countries.

MIDDLE EAST

13 June 2025 - Travel and Mobility Considerations: Situation in the Middle East

Recent developments indicate a notable escalation in regional tensions, with Jordan, Iraq, Iran, and Syria closing their airspace. This has led major carriers, including Lufthansa, Air India, Etihad Airways, Emirates, and Flydubai, to suspend or reroute flights. As eastern Iraq serves as a key transit zone for Asia-Europe routes, the closures have severely disrupted global aviation traffic. Travelers are advised to stay updated with their airlines for the latest information on flight statuses.

ABOUT FRAGOMEN

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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.

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