Labour Migration

Amendments to Federal Law (8) of 1980 on the organization of work introduced article (30) confirming that an employer may not terminate the service of a working women or give her a warning due to her pregnancy. Any termination of service due to pregnancy is considered arbitrary by virtue of article (122) of the law. Also introduced was article (7) prohibiting any kind of discrimination between people, which would weaken the equality of opportunity and infringe, among other things, on equality of access to jobs.

Federal Law No. 10 regulates domestic work and enhances protection for domestic workers.

The Law governing the entry and exit of expatriate workers in Qatar was amended in to allow them to exit the country on temporary or permanent basis without obtaining prior approval from their employer in the form of an exit permit, but did not cover expatriates working in government and public entities, in the oil and gas sector, at sea, in agriculture, in private offices and as domestic workers. Decision No. 95 of 2019 was then issued by the Minister of Interior and removed exit permit requirements for most of the workers excluded from the September 2018 amendment, except for military personnel.

On 5 March 2019, the King approved and issued Law No. (1) for the year 2019 Amending Article 14 of Law No. (21) of 2015 on Private Health Institutions. The aim is to prioritise the employment of Bahraini doctors, technicians and nurses in these institutions unless there is a need for special expertise that is rare and unavailable. Private Health Institutions should start implementing the provisions of the Law with immediate effect upon the expiration of the contracts of expatriate medical staff.