Tanya Jain, Author at LexisNexis Middle East

Qatar: Labour Ministry Updates Labour Recruitment Offices E-services

17/11/202317/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Qatar Tribune, 13 November 2023: Qatar’s Labour Ministry has announced it has updated the e-services offered by labour employment offices.

The updates include an ability to renew or cancel a labour recruitment office licence electronically by following the instructions on the Ministry’s website.

Employers and owners of labour recruitment offices must apply for the renewal of their licences electronically at least a month before they expire through the Ministry’s website.

To be eligible for renewal, the company must have an active ID card and valid commercial registration. They must also have no bans on them or personal bans on their new owner, no active renewal requests and no complaints against the office.

Where a request to cancel a labour recruitment office licence is requested, the application is accepted if there are no bans on the establishment, no personal bans on the current owner, no complaints against the office and nine months have passed since the announcement of the office’s closure in an official newspaper.

They have updated the e-services as part of their digital transformation strategy. The strategy is aimed at improving performance, expediting transactions and simplifying procedures.

Also reported in Al-Sharq on 12 November 2023. For the full story, click here.

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News developments

Oman: Telecommunications Regulatory Authority Urges Voice Over LTE Services to be Activated

17/11/202317/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Oman Daily Observer, 13 November 2023: Oman’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has urged mobile phone users and operators to activate the voice calling facility via 4G Voice over LTE or VoLTE networks.

VoLTE allows users to make calls using the Internet while still using their phone number.

The user’s mobile phone provider should support VoLTE, which will work even If the data signal is strong.

It comes as the Authority prepares to phase out 3G services from July 2024.

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News developments

Kuwait: Sponsorship Change Conditions Explained

17/11/202317/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Kuwait Times, 13 November 2023: Kuwait’s Interior Ministry and Public Authority of Manpower have explained the conditions for changing sponsorship in the country.

Among other things, expatriates must meet the specified sponsorship transfer conditions under Kuwait Administrative Decision No. 842/2015.

If expatriates meet these conditions, they can transfer their residency and change sponsorship.

The expatriate’s residency in Kuwait should not be less than one consecutive year when transferring from family residency to work residency in the private sector.

The Administrative Decision states that workers brought in under a work permit can be transferred to work in the private sector one year after the date of the work permit being issued and approved by the existing employer for the sponsorship transfer.

Workers brought in with permits for employment in the private sector can be transferred to government contracts and projects after the government contract they were originally brought in for has been completed. The transfer to another government contract with the same employer or a government contract with a different employer is limited to highly skilled technical workers as defined by the government entity overseeing the project.

The Ministry and Authority emphasised employers have to cancel work permits of employees registered under the government contract that cannot be transferred for departure at the end of the contract.

Residency must not be transferred without the sponsor’s approval.

At least three years should have passed since the work permit was issued and the sponsor must be notified of the worker’s intention to transfer sponsorship within the specified duration in line with Kuwait Law No. 6/2010.

The worker’s notification to the sponsor must be verified and submitted to the labour department upon the transfer request.

Sponsorship transfer to another sponsor must meet the sponsorship conditions and all of the documents required for residency transfer without a sponsor’s approval must be submitted along with the payment of all associated fees.

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News developments

Dubai: Dubai Taxi Company Law Issued

14/11/202314/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates), 12 November 2023: Following the issuing of Dubai Law No. 21/2023 establishing a Dubai Taxi Company, they will sell shares via an initial public offering.

It is the latest initial public offering to be carried out by the government since COVID-19.

Their listing is one of ten to be announced by the Dubai Financial Market to increase liquidity in the equity market and boost their market capitalisation to three trillion AED.

Until now, only the utility services provider Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, toll gate operator Salik, Tecom Group and district cooling company Empower have been listed on the Dubai Financial Market.

Dubai Taxi Company will have its own financial and administrative independence.

It will operate for 99 years. This period will be calculated from the date of its registration in the commercial register.

It will be automatically renewed for another 99 years.

As well as providing transportation services for taxis, the Company will also offer specialised transportation using self-driving vehicles and flying taxi services. The Company will also be involved in leasing vehicles with or without drivers, engaging in leasing bikes for cargo transportation companies and pursuing other purposes outlined in their Articles of Association.

Finally, the Company will be able to outsource passenger transportation services through contractual agreements with other companies.

However, Dubai Law No. 21/2023 does not specify when and how much of the Company’s shares will be included as part of the initial public offering.

Dubai’s Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council also approved Dubai Executive Council Decision No. 93/2023 approving Dubai Taxi Company’s Articles of Association. This includes the relevant bylaws and regulations.

In addition, Dubai Executive Council Decision No. 92/2023 has been issued appointing Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younis as Chairman, and Ahmed Ali Al Kaabi as Vice Chairman. Among others, Shehab Hamad Abu Shehab, Youssef Ahmed bin Ghalaita, Dr Hanan Sulaiman Al Suwaidi, Abdulla Mohammed bin Damithan, and Issa Abdullah bin Natouf will also be members of the board.

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News developments

Oman: Carbon Capture and Blue Hydrogen Regulatory Framework to be Established

10/11/202310/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Oman Daily Observer, 8 November 2023: Oman’s Energy and Minerals Ministry has signed a Terms of Reference agreement with multiple oil and gas industry stakeholders to establish a policy and regulatory framework for blue hydrogen and carbon capture utilisation policies in the Sultanate.

The agreement was signed by the Energy and Minerals Ministry and a team consisting of Petroleum Development Oman, Oman Shell, OQGN and Occidental Oman.

Under the agreement, a House of Expertise consisting of the Energy and Minerals Ministry, key carbon capture, utilisation and storage and blue hydrogen industry partners, public and private stakeholders and academic institutions will be established.

They will conduct a study to assess the current carbon capture, utilisation and storage and blue hydrogen landscape.

They will also carry out a techno-economic assessment of carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the country, create transparent licensing processes and assess financial mechanisms required to facilitate private sector investment in these sectors.
They will help develop the regulatory framework as the Sultanate looks to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 too and identify regulatory challenges to projects in these sectors.

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News developments

UAE: Corporate Tax Regulations for Free Zones Updated

08/11/202308/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Gulf News (United Arab Emirates), 3 November 2023: The UAE’s Finance Ministry has announced it has updated the corporate tax regulations for free zones.

The Ministry issued Cabinet Decision No. 100/2023 and Ministerial Decision No. 265/2023 to effect these changes.

Cabinet Decision No. 100/2023 expands the definition of Qualifying Income to include income from the ownership or exploitation of Qualifying Intellectual Property, following the methodology of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Developments modified nexus approach outlined in Ministerial Decision No. 265/2023.

Ministerial Decision No. 265/2023 lists the trading of Qualifying Commodities as a Qualifying Activity, allowing a 0% corporate tax rate for income generated from physical trading of various commodities on recognised stock exchanges. It also covers derivative trading income used for risk hedging in these trading activities.

In addition, it clarifies the scope of Qualifying and Excluded Activities. This provides free zone businesses with transparency.

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News developments

Saudi Arabia: Special Economic Zones Centre to be Established

08/11/202308/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Arab News, 6 November 2023: Saudi Arabia’s Royal Commission for Riyadh City has announced it is going to establish a Special Economic Zones Centre.

The Centre will help the Commission oversee the special economic zones in Riyadh City.

It will have its own financial and administrative independence, which will allow it to develop new economic zones in Riyadh.

It will be responsible for granting licences to investors in these zones and will offer comprehensive services based on international best practices.

This will facilitate the recruitment of national and international talent and expertise to work with the new businesses and firms in the Centre.

It will also support Riyadh’s transformation into one of the world’s largest city economies. It will do this by creating a competitive regulatory environment for a broad range of economic activities.

It is being established in line with national economic diversification goals.

The Centre will cooperate with the Royal Commission for Cities and Special Economic Zones to develop strategies for the economic areas.

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News developments

Qatar: Details of New Anti-commercial Concealment Law Provided

08/11/202308/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Qatar Tribune, 3 November 2023: Qatar’s Commerce and Industry Ministry has provided details of a new Anti-commercial Concealment Law.

Qatar Law No. 3/2023 repeals and replaces Qatar Law No. 25/2004.

Concealment includes any non-Qataris practicing a commercial, economic, or professional activity in any of the fields they are not authorised to practice in.

It also includes obtaining profit percentages which are higher than those specified in the company’s articles of association or incorporation document.

In addition, it includes a Qatari individual or a company national, facilitating non-Qataris in engaging in commercial, economic, or professional activities that violate applicable laws in any way.

The new law has been approved in line with the strategy to modernise legal frameworks in the country and foster a more transparent investment climate.

It has also been introduced to keeps up with legislative amendments related to the regulation of non-Qatari capital investment in economic activities.

The Law allows the practice of various economic activities following approved regulations.

The new Law will ensure fair practices in commercial transactions and establish an investment-friendly environment and provide stability to commercial enterprises by permitting reconciliation and legalising the situation of the concealed party, at the expense of the violator.

It encourages concealment cases to be reported and improve collaboration between government entities to tackle concealment.

In addition, it aims to involve society and increase its role in limiting concealment and increase penalties for concealment offences to deter potential offences from being committed.

It also aims to collect the taxes and any other amounts owed to the state because of illegal activities.

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News developments

Oman: Contract Review Powers Decision Approved

08/11/202308/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

Oman Daily Observer, 31 October 2023: Oman’s Sultan has issued a Decree transferring powers related to the revision of contracts from the Justice and Legal Affairs Ministry to the Secretariat General of the Tender Board.

Under Oman Sultani Decree No. 73/2023, the powers to review blueprints of unified model contracts drafted by units of the State’s Administrative Apparatus and other public legal persons in the instances/circumstances stipulated by law will be transferred.

The powers to review the blueprints of contracts whose value exceeds five million Rials and related change orders, irrespective of their values before the signing of the contract or whether any unit of the State’s Administrative Apparatus or other public legal persons might have started implementing the projects will also be transferred.

The review of anything other than unified model contracts covers the procedures that preceded the contract signing process.

The Justice and Legal Affairs Ministry’s technicians and legal advisers who are responsible for reviewing contracts, as well as other staff whose tasks are associated with the revisions or reviews will be transferred to the Secretariat General of the Tender Board.

These employees’ seniority and financial grades will also be transferred. Existing job allowances for these employees will be transferred as well.

The transfer will take place in line with a mechanism agreed by the Justice and Legal Affairs Minister and the Secretary General of the Tender Board. Anything which contradicts or cancels the Decree will be repealed.

The Decree will be published in the Official Gazette and come into force on its issued date.

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News developments

Dubai: Dubai Financial Services Authority Approves New Crypto Tokens

08/11/202308/11/2023
by Tanya Jain

The Dubai Financial Services Authority has announced that it has approved two new crypto tokens.

They have issued a Notice to this effect in line with GEN Rule 3A.3.4 of the DFSA Rulebook.

They have approved Toncoin (TON) and Ripple (XRP).

The recognition comes into force immediately and remains in force until further notice.

The Notice should be construed in line with GEN section 6.2 as if they are provisions of the Rulebook.

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