Gulf countries to rationalise foreign workers recruitment

"Adequate regulations should be made to rationalise recruitment of foreign workers, especially for sectors that could be run by manpower from the local labour market," the Gulf Cooperation Council announced following a meeting of GCC labor ministers in Abu Dhabi recently.

GCC consists of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. The ministers decided to tackle the challenges that affect employment of nationals by adopting a package of suitable nationalisation policies and authorised the executive office of the ministers to follow up on employment of nationals in member countries as per the programme.

According to estimates, the total number of Indians in Gulf countries is over 7.5 million. Indian population in the UAE stands at 1.7 million. However, the largest Indian population in the Gulf is in Saudi Arabia, which has 1.79 million resident Indians, making up just under seven per cent of the population there.

Member countries have been asked to provide correct employment statistics in order to ensure whether progress has been made or not. "GCC countries have to coordinate their stances and work together as one group in issues related to contracted expatriate workers," a statement issued later said.

The meeting stressed the need to implement economic projects that create more jobs for nationals and achieve sustainable growth and called for a strategic move to achieve harmony between economic and social development policies and labour market policies.

It emphasised the importance of employing more nationals in value-added sectors. "Recruitment of foreign workers is a complementary factor and not an alternative to employing nationals," the ministers said.

"No foreigner should be employed in a job except after making sure there is no qualified national to take up that vacancy," they stressed. The ministers agreed to develop a social protection system to confront the negative effects of unemployment, such as an insurance program against unemployment and loss of job.

They also called for developing strategic partnerships with business owners and their organizations in all fields related to the labour market.