Murtaza Khan, a partner in immigration service provider Fragomen Worldwide, pictured at the company office in Dubai Internet City. Antonie Robertson / The National
Murtaza Khan, a partner in immigration service provider Fragomen Worldwide, pictured at the company office in Dubai Internet City. Antonie Robertson / The National

How changes to the UAE labour laws will affect you



UAE residents and employers are familiar with adapting to changing rules and regulations. So it was no surprise the new year brought with it three decrees from the Ministry of Labour (MoL) now in place for those employed outside of free zones.

The decrees – “standard work contract”, “terminating work contract” and “granting a new work permit” – are designed to enhance transparency and encourage more flexibility within the labour market.

Shedding some light on the changes is Murtaza Khan, a partner in the immigration service provider Fragomen Worldwide, responsible for the provision of outsourced corporate migration solutions throughout the Middle East and Africa.

What are the major changes of the new UAE labour regulations?

Some larger companies may have Tas’heel (centres offering MoL services) access on-site, but the majority will have their authorised representative visit a Tas’heel Service Centre, where a standardised offer letter must now be prepared through the MoL’s electronic system. The offer letter is created along with an annex that summarises the most important aspects of the UAE labour law, covering rights and obligations of the employer and employee. Both documents must then be signed by both parties, before being taken back to Tas’heel for the work permit application.

In addition to the offer letter, a new version of the standardised employment contract has been introduced and it is again accompanied by an annex, similar to the one supporting the offer letter. The employment contract should be printed from the MoL’s system and then signed by both parties.

What happens next?

The contract must be submitted to the MoL within 14 days of the worker’s arrival in the UAE based on the employment entry permit, or from the date of the status change. The employment contract must be in accordance with the conditions that had been presented to the candidate within the offer letter. A similar process applies with renewals, as employers and employees are now expected to agree mutually on the terms through the renewal of the employment contract, including a similar annex and signatures of both parties.

What happens if you change employers?

Individuals will now be able to secure new work permits if they have completed six months (instead of two years) with their previous employer and there is no issue raised by either party. There is further flexibility for holders of “unlimited term” contracts who are now allowed to obtain a new work permit even if it is an employee-initiated termination, so long as the employee has completed six months’ service and completed their notice period as agreed.

In addition, the requirement to complete six months is waived if individuals belong to a position in category 1, 2 or 3 of the MoL’s skills classification system. These distinctions are published by the MoL in detail on its website and individuals are advised to consult these or seek appropriate employment counsel to ensure this is correctly applied to their particular situation.

Can people still receive bans?

There is now expected to be far greater flexibility for changing jobs in the UAE by eliminating the automatic six months’ employment ban that was applicable for certain categories of workers. The ban is now expected to apply in far fewer instances and, in general, if one has mutual agreement upon termination of a contract and has completed six months with their previous employer, the ban should not apply to them.

How long does the residence visa work permit process take?

This is a multi-stage process that includes different authorities such as the MoL and the Immigration Department. Various factors, such as the candidate’s qualifications and designation, availability of documents, medical fitness as well as the employing company’s category and quota status may affect the overall processing time. An estimate of four to six weeks is required to complete the process, which results in the final visa sticker on their passport. In our experience, the longest individual part of the process is the time taken by individuals to prepare their documents and submit these to their employers. The actual government processing component is reasonably predictable and efficient with the introduction of online systems.

What about the effect on fam­ily visas when changing jobs?

The family’s residence permits in the UAE are sponsored by and linked to the residence permit of the principal employee. If the employee’s residence permit is cancelled, it would require cancellation of the visas for the dependents before this. Dependents are also granted a 30-day grace period from the date of cancellation to obtain a new residence permit. In some circumstances, immigration authorities make a provision for the dependents’ residence permits not to be cancelled, but rather placed on hold for the duration that the employee sec­ures the new residence permit. This process entails provision of additional supporting docu­ments concerning the new employment, evidencing the employee’s continued ability to sponsor dependents and a deposit. Once the employee’s new residence permit is issued, the deposit may be refunded and the hold on the dependents’ residence permits may be released.

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Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

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Power: 154bhp

Torque: 250Nm

Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option 

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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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Australia tour of Pakistan

March 4-8: First Test, Rawalpindi  

March 12-16: Second Test, Karachi 

March 21-25: Third Test, Lahore

March 29: First ODI, Rawalpindi

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April 2: Third ODI, Rawalpindi

April 5: T20I, Rawalpindi

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

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Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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  • Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
  • Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.

David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East

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SPECS

Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
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TCL INFO

Teams:
Punjabi Legends 
Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan

Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
When December 14-17

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Rating: 4/5

The biog

From: Upper Egypt

Age: 78

Family: a daughter in Egypt; a son in Dubai and his wife, Nabila

Favourite Abu Dhabi activity: walking near to Emirates Palace

Favourite building in Abu Dhabi: Emirates Palace

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES

All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated

Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid

Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona

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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners