Doha will not cap expat job tenure, confirms Labour Ministry
The Ministry of Labour in Qatar has confirmed that Doha has no plans of capping expat job tenure, unlike Saudi Arabia.
Last week, Saudi Arabia had hinted that it plans to discontinue renewal of job visas of expat workers after six years. Other GCC nations too have occasionally considered such policies. This has caused much concern in expatriate communities. But, Qatar Ministry has confirmed that it has no such plans.
Saudi Arabia intends to cut down its expatriate workforce to strengthen its job nationalisation drive, as the rate of unemployment is high within the country. However, the rate of unemployment in Qatar is quite low at 0.3 percent.
Although, this issue of cancellation of work visas of expats after completion of six-year tenure was discussed at the International Labour Organization (ILO), and other GCC forums, it was agreed that every GCC state has its own manpower and developmental needs. Therefore, they would be in a better position to decide about the fate of expatriates.
The work visit visas are usually issued for five years, and their status is reviewed at the end of that period. Several foreign workers leave when their contractual periods are over.
In Qatar, only less than 15 percent of its expat workforce constitutes skilled workers, while the vast majority are semi-skilled or unskilled workers. Therefore, Qatar definitely rules out any plans to refuse renewal of job visas for long-staying expatriate workers, a source pointed out.
Moreover, in Qatar, several nationals themselves are against packing off long-staying experienced expatriate workers, as that would mean a major blow to Qatari economy. Almost all major sectors of the economy will be severely affected if expatriate workers leave after six years.
The worst-affected of any such reforms in GCC nations will be the education sector, as majority of teachers are foreigners. According to media reports, Saudi Arabia has already informed local firms to stop renewal of visas of expatriate workers after six years.
Posted on 6/6/2011