That is the final in our quick collection on sweeping modifications to employment and immigration guidelines due within the GCC in 2023.
Bahrain
Digitalisation of the Residence Allow
- In April 2022, The Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) launched a brand new e-service, which points digital residence permits by way of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Nationwide Portal. The brand new e-service changed the method of residence permits being evidenced by way of a printed residence allow sticker of their passport. This alteration has shaped a part of Bahrain’s digital transformation of immigration processes, aligning with different GCC international locations such because the UAE which have sought to digitise components of the immigration course of, such because the removing of bodily passport stamping.
Qatar
New Social Insurance coverage Legislation
- On January 3, 2023, the Qatar Legislation No. 1 of 2022 (the Social Insurance coverage Legislation) got here into impact, which governs pensions and retirement.
- Presently, social safety provisions apply to Qatari residents and a few GCC nationals employed by ministries, public establishments, companies, joint inventory corporations and others as decided by the Council of Ministers on the Basic Retirement and Social Insurance coverage Authority (GRSIA). The Social Insurance coverage Legislation, nonetheless, broadens the scope of the social safety guidelines, which is able to prolong to employers within the personal sector that rent a number of Qatari residents. The brand new provisions may also apply to employers within the personal sector, whether or not the employer is established by way of the jurisdiction of the State of Qatar or in one of many related non-state jurisdictions (e.g. the Qatar Monetary Heart).
- We expect implementing rules for the Social Insurance coverage Legislation that can make clear numerous facets of the regulation; nonetheless, we perceive the GRSIA is already accepting employer purposes for registration.
- We suggest employers undertake the next actions:
- search affirmation of whether or not their workers are eligible for social safety and, in that case, register them by way of the GRSIA accordingly;
- overview and establish employment contracts and any corresponding insurance policies which will apply to eligible workers, and assess whether or not modifications should be applied to replicate any preparations underneath the Social Insurance coverage Legislation (any such modifications ought to kind a part of a person session course of with workers to hunt their respective consent); and
- overview additionally their accounting and payroll capabilities to make sure there’s a course of is in place and ample finances to facilitate employer contribution prices.
