Kuwait’s Capital Market Authority has announced it is launching an awareness campaign for its qualifications examinations project for registered employment positions. The project is being launched with the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment. The project will result in the Professional Qualifications Programme which the Authority will implement by 30 September 2019.
Bahrain’s Shoura Council has approved a draft law to regulate hygiene, following Bahrain Royal Decree No. 86/2014. It will apply to waste and its transportation and disposal. It will also cover waste dumping and depositing waste in incorrect facilities. In addition, it will ban abandoning scrap vehicles on streets and leaving vehicles in public streets and squares to sell. Finally it will allow waste to only be transported by licensed companies and institutions.
Oman’s Central Bank has issued a Bank Resolution Framework which sets out the recovery and resolution regime for the Sultanate’s banking sector. It will apply to all banks who are designated as important domestic banks by the Central Bank. The Bank at its discretion may apply all or parts of the framework to any other bank licensed by it. The aim is to prepare banks for self-recovery and in the relevant circumstances allow the authorities to help them with minimal disruption to them and the wider banking sector and at the lowest possible cost.
UAE officials have announced changes to the country’s guarantees system for domestic workers. Under the changes, domestic workers will now be able to be replaced or the hiring fees fully or partially refunded within the two-year recruitment contract.
The guarantee for those domestic workers who are recruited through the Tadbeer system has been extended to two years, in line with the Implementing Regulations to the Domestic Workers’ Law. The Law had previously granted a six-month guarantee period during which time an employer could get their recruitment fees refunded or replace a worker.
Under the new rules full recruitment fees will be refunded or an employee is replaced as an employer may want during the first six month of the contract or the probationary period in the event of termination of the contract by an employee illegally, quitting without an acceptable reason, the employee being unfit or unable to carry out their duties as required and agreed on.
After the probationary period and up to the end of the recruitment contract, part of the recruitment fees will be refunded if an employee terminates the contract illegally or quits without an acceptable reason. The amount refunded will be calculated on the basis of the remaining period of the contract. Recruitment firms will have to refund the fees to an employer within a month of the date an employer returns an employee or reports their absence from work. Where an employer specifically named a domestic worker to be recruited and the recruiting firm hired them, no recruitment fees will be refunded.
The Governor of Qatar’s Central Bank has issued a Decision on the instructions for licensing, organising and supervising the services of supporting insurance providers, in line with Qatar Law No. 13/2012. Qatar Decision No. 7/2019 came into force on 1 April 2019. Amongst other things, they establish a code of conduct for their operations and ensure insurance providers meet their obligations under the Decision. They also cover licensing procedures and the requirements to practice as an insurance provider. Those entities affected have to comply with the Decision and the relevant authorities have to implement the Decision.
Senior Kuwaiti Government officials have confirmed there is a Parliamentary consensus on amending Kuwait Law No. 17/2018 which includes amendments to Kuwait Law No. 6/2010 (the Private Sector Labour Law). The proposed amendment states Kuwaiti nationals are entitled to full indemnities at the end of their service without employers deducting sums from their salaries to pay for the Public Authority for Social Security subscription. Indemnities will be paid in full by the current employer at the end of their service retrospectively actively from the date of Kuwait Law No. 6/2010 being implemented.
Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has launched a final consultation on the reference offer of the split Batelco entity. The consultation ends on 25 April 2019. The new wholesale-only entity (NBNetco BSC) will be formed by the separation of Batelco into two distinct entities. NBNetco will operate and deploy the single national broadband infrastructure in the Kingdom. This is how all telecom services including 5G will be provided. Service providers must therefore be granted access to the infrastructure on fair and reasonable terms.
The Chairman of Egypt’s Consumer Protection Authority has announced the Implementing Regulations to the country’s Consumer Protection Law have been published. The Implementing Regulations to Egypt Law No. 181/2018 are contained in Egypt Regulation No. 822/2019. The Regulations emphasise the importance of informing consumers about all basic data on products, which is the consumer’s right to know before purchasing. It covers obligatory provisions by sellers or service providers of an invoice. They also cover the rights of consumers to recover or replace products within 14 days and within 30 days in the event of a product defect.
Saudi Arabia’s Trade and Investment Minister has announced a new bank for Small and Medium Enterprises will be established. The Minister confirmed permission to open the bank has been issued and relevant bodies will have to cooperate with the International Bank to prepare the necessary study. He added the law for Competition and Procurement are being finalised and will empower SMEs.
The Registration Authority of Abu Dhabi’s Global Market has launched a public consultation on proposed amendments to the Market’s Employment Regulations. The consultation ends on 28 April 2019. The consultation includes a proposal for a new rule to govern work carried out by individuals not sponsored by Global Market entities in the Global Market.
The amendments aim to enhance the Market’s employment framework and make it appealing for both employers and employees. The proposed amendments have been developed in light of international practices and standards. The key proposals include introducing a temporary work permit regime which will allow individuals seconded from other jurisdictions or outsourced from non-Global Market entities to officially work in the Market and facilitate the engagement of interns, with or without pay by Global Market entities
It will also allow temporary freelancers to operate in the Global Market subject to a temporary work permit being obtained for them and add provisions for ‘overtime’ and ‘overtime compensation’ for employees, except for those who are employed in managerial or supervisory positions.In addition, it will introduce amendments to the Ramadan working hours provision and sick leave pay provisions and introduce a one-way repatriation flight ticket entitlement to employees
Finally, it will add protective provisions for the employment of young people between 15 and 18, add a provision to confirm the application of the Federal Law Concerning the National and Reserve Service in the Global Market and introduce amendments to the Protection of Wages and Hiring Employees sections of the Abu Dhabi Global Market Employment Regulations (Compensation and Awards Limits) Rules 2016.
