Finally, Qatar has set the employee minimum salary for expatriates as $200 (750 Riyal / € 166) with significant labor package changes ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. With a lot of continuous global scrutiny and criticism for the treatment of foreign workers in the country, the government of Qatar compels to set expatriate or employee minimum salary introducing minimum wage policy.
According to the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Abdullah Saleh Al Khulaifi, the temporary minimum wage policy comes into effect immediately.
Terms & Condition For Employee Minimum Salary Policy in Qatar
Besides the expatriate/employee minimum salary rule set, they will receive free accommodation, food, and healthcare plans, covered by employers.
One of the important changes in labor policy is introducing the employee minimum salary for foreign workers from which more than 2 million foreign workers who are working in Qatar will be directly benefited.
This is the very first time Qatar has been introducing an employee minimum salary policy.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, employment contact below 750 Riyals will not be approved. The Ministry must approve all employment contracts of Labor and Social Affairs in Qatar. It is said that the 750 Riyals figure might be increased further after a complete review, but for the moment employer cannot hire an expatriate below this figure.
Additionally, another significant change in labor law is making job contracts with the government, preventing foreign workers from changing the job after arriving in Qatar or leaving the country.
As well as this will also preventing changes to contract terms after the arrival of workers in Qatar, which is believed the crystal clear hands on benefit for expatriate since there is a lot of problem in between two parties (employer and employees) contradict in contract terms after arriving here in Qatar.
It is expected that this major reform in the labor package will be enough to satisfy the UN’s international labor rights. Since Qatar is controversially able to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, they are spending $500 million a week on the tournament. Still, they are continuously accused of forcing workers to toil in conditions.
It is hoped that the introduction of expatriate minimum salary and other significant reforms in labor law will somehow address the Qatar government’s global critics.