UAE royal wedding; Kuwait expat supermarket ban; Saudi work visa; Eid holiday dates; new tax rules – 10 things you missed this week

It was a busy week in the Middle East, but if you missed anything catch up with the biggest stories making headlines.

News emerged from Kuwait of expatriates being denied entry into some supermarkets and new rules concerning driving licences in the county.

Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia issued an update on working visas and skill-based recruitment in the Kingdom. In the UAE new tax rules were shared that could see small businesses given financial relief every year.

Amid it all there was more news on Golden Visas in the UAE, Ramadan working hour changes and details about the upcoming Eid holidays in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Check out the 10 biggest news stories of the week.

Kuwait bans expats from entering supermarkets: Report

Expatriates in Kuwait are being denied entry to cooperative societies during the holy month of Ramadan, according to several complaints received by Kuwait Times.

As per a report, while expats are allowed to enter co-ops in many areas, several Police Co-operative Societies are denying entry to anyone who is not a Kuwaiti citizen or working for the interior ministry.

Security guards stationed at all entrances also reportedly check people’s civil IDs.

UAE announces Ramadan working hours update

The UAE has issued guidance on working hours and breaks for employees during Ramadan.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation shared guidance on the working hours, break times and consecutive hours for staff in the country throughout Ramadan.

In an update published on social media, the MOHRE offered guidance for workers according to the Regulation of Labour Relations Law. The MOHRE said:

• The ordinary working day is reduced by two hours during Ramadan      
• The rest break is one hour         
• Workers should not work for more than five consecutive hours without a break to rest or to pray

UAE royal wedding update: Sheikha Mahra, Sheikh Mana share official announcement

UAE royals, Sheikh Mana Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Bin Mana Al Maktoum and Sheikha Mahra Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum have confirmed reports of the pair’s engagement. The royals shared an official announcement via their Instagram accounts, on Wednesday.

Sheikh Mana and Sheikh Mahra confirmed on Instagram that they celebrated their Katb-Al-Kitab, which is the official signing of the marriage contract.

An Instagram post shared is a poem by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Bin Mana Al Maktoum, the father of Sheikh Mana, congratulating the newlyweds.

Saudi Arabia to make major change to work visa system: reports

Saudi Arabia has introduced new rules for skill-based recruitment, according to a report in the Saudi Gazette.

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development (MHRSD) has brought in three skill levels for new recruits in certain sectors in the Kingdom.

The changes come alongside efforts to improve the professional competence of skilled workers in the Saudi market as well as enhance productivity and reduce inflow of unqualified workers. The proposed levels are classified as:

• High
• Medium
• Low

UAE announces new tax rules

The UAE Ministry of Finance has issued a new ministerial decision for businesses with revenues of AED3 million or less, wherein they can claim a “Small Business Relief.”

The authority stated that “taxable persons that are resident persons can claim Small Business Relief where their revenue in the relevant tax period and previous tax periods is below AED3 million for each tax period,” as per a Twitter post by UAEBARQ.

However, once the revenue threshold is exceeded, the Small Business Relief will no longer be available.

Kuwait confiscates 300,000 expat driving licenses: Report

Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior has formed a new committee to withdraw driving licenses from expats who hold a salary of less than KWD600 and those who do not have a university degree, according to a report by the Arabic daily Al-Jarida.

The ministry will reportedly implement its decision to “deal with traffic jams,” the report said, adding that the committee was formed by First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Interior and Acting Minister of Defense, Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid.

However, the report said that traffic crisis is solved by improving roads and building bridges and tunnels, not by discriminatory decisions, citing private sources.

Eid Al Fitr 2023 dates announced by International Astronomy Centre

Eid Al-Fitr is most likely to fall on Friday, April 21, in UAE according to the International Astronomy Centre.

This means that if Eid Al-Fitr falls on April 21, residents in UAE can expect a three-day break.

Meanwhile, Eid Al-Fitr is most likely to fall on Saturday, April 22, in Oman according to a report by Oman Observer, which cited astronomical data. This means that if Eid Al-Fitr falls on April 22, residents can expect a nine-day break. According to Abdulwahab al Busaidy, head of the observatory at Oman Astronomical Society, the first day of Eid Al-Fitr “in all likelihood” would fall on Saturday, the report said, adding that to be able to see the moon, it should be at least 12 hours old.

UAE announces new traffic fines for pedestrian crossing violators

Umm Al Quwain announced new fines for pedestrian crossing violators and starting this week motorists will be monitored and fined through solar-powered AI radars. The technology was activated on April 3.

Violators will be fined AED500 and given six black points.

Motorists are urged to stop at crossings and give way to pedestrians.

UAE to issue 100,000 golden visas to attract top tech talent

The UAE will issue 100,000 golden visas to the world’s best programmers as it looks to become a global tech investment hub.

Investment in AI and software development will be key to national aims to double the contribution of the digital economy to national GDP.

As Dubai aims to become a preferred destination for international digital investment and global tech talent, it is attracting a growing number of software development professionals.

Dubai Police and banks team up to stamp out financial crime

Dubai Police’s General Department of Criminal Investigation has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with ten banks and financial institutions, to enhance the security system and collaborate with partners in the field of investigating and anticipating the future of economic crimes.

The MoUs aim to boost cooperation and the exchange of expertise between the parties across areas of mutual interest.

Major General Jamal Salem Al Jallaf, Director of the General Department of Criminal, said: “This collaboration is intended to produce predictive frameworks that achieve the goals of all parties in preventive planning and enhancing performance levels in line with global economic, criminal, and technological changes.