Economic downturn may see outflow of expats from GCC – Saudi Gazette

Economic downturn may see outflow of expats from GCC – Saudi Gazette

Gulf states rely heavily on foreign workers across all sectors of the economy, from professionals to skilled workers and manual labor.. All Gulf countries are trying to reduce their dependence on oil and have begun to invest in training their national labor forces to take on larger roles in the economy, and not just the public sector, said Naufal, who authored "Expats and the Labor Force: The Story of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.". "A mass exit of foreign workers - if it happens - cannot be completely addressed with local labor force just simply due to numbers, but also technical expertise in different areas, but a pandemic such as this will shape future labor policies in the region.". Govt measuresThe UAE enacted a new regulation on March 26 that allows employers to make workers redundant but must still provide housing (if provided contractually) and allow the employee to transfer his or her visa to a new employer if a new position is found.. It also allows the employer to temporarily reduce salaries or force employees to take paid or unpaid leave.. The stimulus packages and mitigation measures are unlikely to stem job losses in the largest employers in the