Oman set to limit number of foreign workers

Abed Monday, 11 February 2013 7:50 PM - UAE

@ Man, are you so naive? You just bought a few bricks for God's sake, not the UAE. The UAE is not for sale so next time you buy anything make sure you do your homework and read the fine print.

Thamir Ghaslan Monday, 11 February 2013 11:34 AM - Saudi Arabia

Karma payback time!

GCC nationals are increasingly anti-foreigners due to taking away their jobs and depressing wages.

Every attempt to fight this wave and continually fight the locals with imaginary excuses will only fire back and increase anti foreign sentiment and speed up the process.

Saqr Monday, 11 February 2013 11:08 AM - Oman

As long as the GCC is so dependent on foreign workforce, the GCC nationals will never be able to grow and lead. It has been around 50 years if not more that the GCC is dependent on foreigners, how come the GCC nationals are still lagging behind in every sector and considered dimwits???
There is a long term and a short term solution to root out this monopoly that has caused the stagnation and frustration of the GCC nationals and permanently stunted their development, the long term solution is to encourage the GCC nationals to have more children, and the short term solution is granting citizenship to Arabs (who also are marginalized in the GCC market) who share with us the same language, culture and identity. Other solutions have proved futile and nonsensical.

Adam Wednesday, 13 February 2013 1:56 PM - Qatar

@ Gooner49, come on dude whom are you trying to fool? You do not seem like the proverbial ostrich that buries its head in the golden Arabian Gulf sand. Your comments are so comical unconvincing flimsy and so very very very desperate, hilarious actually.

Man Wednesday, 13 February 2013 11:28 AM - Qatar

@Qatari, there are many other arab nationals being granted citizenship. Go and check with the respective govt. agencies. I know of a palestine guy who got it recently in my company.

Gooner49 Tuesday, 12 February 2013 12:33 PM - UAE

Don't bunch the GCC as a whole...each state has it's own policies. With regards to the UAE..."Never be able to grow and lead"? What planet have you been on? We lived in conditions that can be considered as beyond miserable a mere 40 years ago. Have you ever taken a moment to think about that? No fresh water to drink, only salty water? No sewage systems? No AC's in the summer? Yet here we are as one of the fastest growing economies in the world with a national population that went from not knowing what books were to chairing boards of the biggest companies in the western ?civilised? world. DON'T tell me we can never grow and lead, we have done much more.

It wasn't a foreign workforce that helped us get to were we are...don't be so arrogant. ONLY by the good fortune of having oil underneath our feet and a smart leadership have we achieved everything we have done to date. Money and leadership led us to put together a plan that included bringing in experts to do A JOB!

Gooner49 Tuesday, 12 February 2013 12:32 PM - UAE

As for citizenship? Why should for example the UAE nationals...a minority in their own land, give other arabs (whom outnumber them) citizenships and ergo power? Don't you think that with all these religious and political uprisings happening around them it's a good or safe idea? Why don't you start thinking of the ramifications of immigration policies before jumping to half-baked ideas.

Also dependency works two ways...yes it is true that the UAE does require expats to assist in the development of the country nobody denies that, but don't for one minute think that the expats don't need the UAE. If that was true why are they living here for decades? Come here and stay here illegally? Sell their livelihood to come? Risk their lives doing dangerous work? Please save me the crocodile tears about these countries desperately needing expats, I can argue it's actually vice-versa.

Faisal Monday, 11 February 2013 7:39 PM - Kuwait

Spot on Saqr, but the second solution which actually looks more feasible and plausible will not be palatable to the few GCC nationals who are not of Arab origins and who do not even talk in Arabic in their homes.....

Qatari Monday, 11 February 2013 4:43 PM - Qatar

Definitely not granting citizenship to other Arabs. Maybe include them as a country in the GCC but not as a people within our society.

Neutral observer Monday, 11 February 2013 10:36 AM - France

@ Ahmed & Qatari, please allo me to clarify something as you guys seem to live far from reality and have negative stereotypes about expat. The same prejudice extreme right parties have against arabes and muslims in the west.
1) Expats before 2005 were able to send home some money. Since, it is not the case due to expensive everything. Most of the people working in UAE are unable to send money home. This means that the region is not attractive anymore.
The discussion about reducing foreign labor is coming from this fact. Authorities realize this and it becomes urgent for them to sell the new policy like if they are restricting access. Not the reality.
2) Authorities could oblige all local business people to hire only locals. They have the right to do it and it can be a straight forward decison and action. Ask yourselfs why this is not done.
3) Due to lack of transparent laws and clear cut implementation, Dubai is not attractive for investors who do not like uncertain environement.

Ahmed Sunday, 10 February 2013 12:54 PM - UAE

The GCC needs to start limiting foreign worker employment in certain sectors of the society in order to restructure their economies in order to increase growth potential income steadily among locals. This change could aim to build a more inclusive society by generating resources to assist GCC nationals get a fair share of the economic pie and would allow GCC economies to grow on the basis of skills, innovation and productivity. GCC governments might want to raise their research and development spending, establish export-import bank loans to small and medium companies and raise the fees companies must pay to bring in foreign workers. There will always be sectors that will need foreign labor, but to call GCC nationals lazy is an old line used by foreigners, mainly from the sub-continent, to justify their employment in the GCC. GCC governments have invested greatly to modernize their nations, so to increase productivity through proper training is a better route than hiring foreign labor.

Geko Monday, 11 February 2013 10:30 AM - Dubai

Not only money, even the risk stays within your boundry all the time to hit back.... Foreigners stays here for money, but others work on few different agenda, as exposed recently...

Man Monday, 11 February 2013 10:29 AM - UAE

@Qatari, your words dont make any sense. If a GCC national gets money, he goes to a foreign country to buy dresses, gadgets, education, etc while an expat depends mostly on the GCC country to buy his necessities and so spends the money here. Only his small savings, if any, are sent to his home country. When you buy a Rolls Royce or Porche, do you think that it is made in your country??? Even when you buy that in your country, you pay indirectly to the foreign manufacturers.

You say limiting foreign workers. Well what about foreign businesses and investments? You want them right.....so who will work there? Are you ready to work in hotels like Sheraton, Hilton etc or in retail outlets of Lulu, Emirates, Carrefour etc? To be logically correct, reduce businesses or investments where you need foreigners to work and then you will be able to realise your wish. But frankly......there is no chance for that. Be practical and let the words come from your brain rather than your emotional heart.

Qatari Sunday, 10 February 2013 6:45 PM - Qatar

Well said. An advantages of hiring a GCC national over a foreigner is that the money will most likely stay in a loop, and not leave the region.

Man Sunday, 10 February 2013 12:53 PM - UAE

All people have dreams and this does not mean that all dreams come true. There is no cost for dreaming and by the time they realize their dreams cannot be put to action, the expats will be long gone.

There is no RE-GENERATING income source in these parts of the world, and with negative attitudes towards expats they will reach a point of convergence and then NO MORE.

Abed Sunday, 10 February 2013 11:09 AM - Oman

@ Qatari, let's hope that the UAE also limits the number of foreign workers esp the Asian workers who are already clamoring for citizenship and permanent residencies.

Qatari Sunday, 10 February 2013 6:46 PM - Qatar

@Abed, I agree with you, a second priority should always be given to a GCC national rather than a foreigner. This has many benefits but it comes at a certain cost.

Iqbal Saturday, 9 February 2013 1:22 PM - Spain

Automation will mean most foreign workers will no longer be needed.

The robots are coming people, and they don't complain.

Ali Saturday, 9 February 2013 11:42 AM - Canada

Strongly Disagre with Qatari.
If locals at GCC had the will to work instead of depending on others,they would have done so.
If foreigners can seize the opportunities in GCC with all the restrictions imposed on them, then it should be a peice of cake for the locals or gcc arabs.

We muslim people have lost our effecieny and love to go forward

Bong Saturday, 9 February 2013 11:41 AM - Vietnam

All cleaning is done by expatriate workers !! All restaurants are operated by expatriates !! What is the future for this country ?
Cheers