Member News

Immigration developments in the MENA Region
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United Arab Emirates
The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development announced that foreign nationals can now obtain a freelancer’s license allowing them to carry out business activities in the mainland Abu Dhabi in one of 48 approved fields from home or from another authorized location. Previously, the mainland license for freelancers was available only to Emirati citizens, while foreign nationals could freelance only based on a license issued in select free zones.

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The Cabinet of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that effective December 1, 2020, additional categories of foreign nationals will become eligible for a long-term residence permit. This new decision aims to retain highly qualified individuals in the UAE. It is unclear if the long-term residence permits for these categories will be issued through government nomination or if the potential candidates will be able to submit their applications directly to the relevant government authorities in the UAE.

Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced the launch of the Labor Reform Initiative (LRI) that aims to further regulate and enhance mobility and employment conditions in Saudi Arabia’s private sector. This includes removing the requirement of the employer’s consent within the sponsorship transfer process, the elimination of the Exit and Re-Entry and Final Exit requirements, and the digitization of contractual documents. The anticipated effective date of the LRI is set on March 14, 2021.

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The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development announced an amendment to rules calculating the ratio of Saudi national workers in the Nitaqat system, based on their minimum monthly salary, which will go into effect in April 2021.  For full-time employees, Saudi workers will count as one employee for purposes of the Saudization ratio if their monthly salary is SAR 4,000 or above. Saudi nationals with a monthly wage between SAR 3,000 and SAR 4,000 will be counted as half an employee, while those with a salary lower than SAR 3,000 will not count towards the nationalization ratio of the employer. Currently, the minimum monthly salary for a Saudi national to count as one employee is SAR 3,000; those earning between SAR 1,500 and SAR 3,000 are counted based on a special equation; and those with a salary lower than SAR 1,500 are not counted at all. Part-time workers will count towards the employer’s Saudization ratio as half of an employee if their salary is SAR 3,000 or above per month (currently the minimum salary is SAR 1,500 per month).

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The government of Saudi Arabia introduced an additional visit visa category for passengers transiting through Saudi Arabia for up to 48 hours. The visa costs SAR 100 and allows transit by air, sea or land. This new visa supplements the existing transit visa category that allows foreign nationals to transit through Saudi Arabia for up to 96 hours and costs SAR 300. It is not clear when this new regulation will become effective.

Qatar
The Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs announced that companies that operate outside of the free zones can now apply for new Labour Quotas required to obtain work authorizations for foreign nationals outside of Qatar. Issuance of new out-of-country work authorizations will be subject to the approval of the Ministry of Interior in accordance with the current travel and entry policies of Qatar. Further details related to the resumption of the new out-of-country work permit application process are expected to be announced in due course.

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Effective immediately, foreign residents in Qatar who seek to travel internationally are no longer required to apply for an exceptional return permit post their departure from Qatar. Instead the permit will be available automatically upon the registration of their departure from Qatar. Previously, foreign nationals had to obtain the return permit through Qatar Portal website which could only be completed once the individual had left the country. Furthermore, the permit had to be applied for by the sponsor, i.e.: employer or a relative (in case of dependents). The new policy does not apply to foreign residents who are currently outside Qatar who must still obtain the exceptional return permit prior to arriving in Qatar

About Fragomen
Fragomen is the world’s leading single-focus provider of immigration services and support. Our firm is comprised of law practices and immigration consultancies that work together to support our clients across all regions globally. At Fragomen, we leverage our collective immigration experience to offer clients targeted and trusted solutions that help them achieve their local, regional and worldwide business goals.

Fragomen’s team of dedicated immigration professionals has extensive experience in working with multinational businesses, local employers, start-ups and individual investors. We have a deep understanding of the region and maintain strong professional relationships with immigration authorities. Our MENA immigration team is supported on a global basis by over 3,800 immigration professionals in more than 50 offices worldwide. Together, we provide comprehensive immigration support in over 170 countries.

All we do is immigration, a sole focus that makes a considerable difference. Unlike many other providers, all of our thinking, passion and resources are dedicated to improving the immigration experiences of our clients and their employees. We have the track record, region specific experience and know-how to provide you with a streamlined and compliant immigration solution.

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