With the approval of a new permanent residency law, Qatar may be set to become the first Arab Gulf country to significantly reform the legal status of its expatriate population. The new legislation will reportedly allow foreign workers to obtain a permanent residency card which comes with several benefits. Cardholders will have full access to[…]
Bahrain’s Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) has introduced a new regulation program that aims to give expatriates illegally residing and working in the country a way to obtain legal documentation to stay. This new regulation program, called the Flexi Permit, will be a significant deviation from the current kefala system since it will give workers[…]
On 11 July, the Saudi government deported three Sudanese nationals to their home country despite the high risk that Sudanese authorities will gravely mistreat, or even torture, them. The Sudanese National Intelligence Service (NISS) detained the three upon their arrival and is now holding them at their headquarters in Khartoum North. Elgassim Mohammed Seed Ahmed[…]
Saudi Arabia has long been known for limiting women’s rights with its onerous male guardianship system. However, recently King Salman issued an order that allows Saudi women to benefit from services such as education and access to healthcare without requiring prior permission from their male guardian. If his order is fully implemented, it could be[…]
Any end to the weeks-long Qatar-Gulf crisis was last month made contingent, in part, on the shuttering of Al Jazeera and its affiliate stations, as well as the closure of all news outlets that are—directly or indirectly, partially or wholly—funded by Qatar. Justified by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt as[…]