DOHA // Qatar is considering ending the oft-criticised sponsorship system, under which employers sponsor foreign workers and have a great deal of control over them, the prime minister said on Thursday.
"Changes have been made to the sponsorship system in Qatar," and the council of ministers is "seriously studying" abolishing the system, Sheikh Hamad told reporters.
"We are studying the issue very carefully to preserve the rights of citizens and foreign workers," he added.
Sponsorship systems for foreign workers exist in most Gulf countries, which employ millions of foreigners, especially from Asia. The system has been strongly criticised by rights groups and likened to modern-day slavery.
In some cases, employers hold workers' passports and can deny them permission to change jobs.
Bahrain abolished the system in 2009, and Kuwait reportedly plans to do so by February.
Sheikh Hamad also said on Thursday that Qatar was not yet ready to hold its first partial parliamentary elections, which have been promised for several years.
"The legislative elections will be held one day ... We have fallen behind in completing various laws, of which three quarters have been adopted," he said.
The principle of a partly elected parliament was enshrined in the Gulf state's constitution which came into force in 2005.
Two-thirds of the 45 members of the Majlis al-Shura (consultative assembly) would be selected by universal suffrage, with the other 15 appointed by the emir, according to an electoral law adopted in 2008.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia are the only states in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council that have not held legislative elections, although municipal elections have been held in both countries.
Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman have held direct parliamentary elections, while the United Arab Emirates at the end of 2006 held partial elections by indirect voting for members of the National Federal Council.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Tips for job-seekers
- 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
Brief scores:
Pakistan (1st innings) 181: Babar 71; Olivier 6-37
South Africa (1st innings) 223: Bavuma 53; Amir 4-62
Pakistan (2nd innings) 190: Masood 65, Imam 57; Olivier 5-59
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
The Bio
Ram Buxani earned a salary of 125 rupees per month in 1959
Indian currency was then legal tender in the Trucial States.
He received the wages plus food, accommodation, a haircut and cinema ticket twice a month and actuals for shaving and laundry expenses
Buxani followed in his father’s footsteps when he applied for a job overseas
His father Jivat Ram worked in general merchandize store in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands in the early 1930s
Buxani grew the UAE business over several sectors from retail to financial services but is attached to the original textile business
He talks in detail about natural fibres, the texture of cloth, mirrorwork and embroidery
Buxani lives by a simple philosophy – do good to all
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
