Qatar’s private sector companies set to implement new law on exit permits

Qatar took a giant step towards workers’ welfare when it recently announced the abolition of exit permit system for a majority of expatriate workers in the country.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI), Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA) and Qatar Chamber recently held a series of awareness workshops to shed more light on recent amendments to the law.

The two ministries have urged private companies and employers to prepare for implementation of amendments to the law.

The new law states that a person can leave the country without requiring consent of the employer. An employer, however, can specify 5% of employees who need pre-approval before leaving the country due to their nature of work.

“The Ministry has completed all procedures related to the implementation of the law. The law allowed the employees of private companies to leave without exit permit except the proportion of five percent of their workers, which is a percentage determined by the employer due to the nature of their work like those who work in money exchange companies and gold shops and so on,” Mohammed Ali Al Meer, Director of Labour Inspection Department at the MADLSA, was quoted as saying b y The Peninsula.

Captain Nasser Al Khalaf, from the MoI, said the law will be implemented effectively after being announced in the official gazette.

He pointed out that the law belongs to the private sector and does not include government or semi-governmental agencies, personal sponsorships or domestic helps, reported Gulf Times.

The MoI also spoke more about the recent decision to allow people from eight nations to complete their Qatari residence permit procedures in their country of origin itself.   

A number of representatives of diplomatic missions in Qatar attended the seminar and were briefed about the new amendments.