People in Qatar have been eagerly looking forward to changes in the labour law and the conditions of work in Qatar. In theory, the new law will make it easier for workers to leave the country and also transfer their sponsorship within Qatar.

However, there is still a lot of confusion in people’s minds regarding the new law that will come into effect starting December 14. Kochery and Partners, a legal firm based in Qatar, has come out with a detailed presentation on the reforms and changes.

Here is a drilldown of the most important parts of the new law.

Employment contract

An employment contract will regulate the relation between employer and employee.

Definite Term contracts will not exceed a period of five years. After completing five years of employment, an employee can move to another company without any NOC, provided they get approval from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MOLSA).

Two year bans

At the moment, the new law does not mention anything about the prevailing two-year ban on a worker who leaves the country after resigning his job or at the end of his contract.

Dispute resolution committee

A new committee will be set up to resolve labour-related disputes. It will be responsible for settling disputes related to labour law and work contracts within a maximum timeframe of three weeks.

A judge from the Court of First Instance, chosen by the Supreme Judiciary Council, will chair the committee.

Appeals Committee

Any decision made by the dispute resolution committee can be contested at the Appeals Committee within 15 days of the original verdict. A judge from the Court of Appeal will head the appeals committee.

Exit permits

Exit permits will no longer be required for travel to outside the country. An employee will have to inform his employer three days before and and apply through Metrash 2 system.

Full presentation on labor law changes.