Qatar moves to increase local headcount requirement

Qatar’s cabinet approved a proposal on 8 July by the country’s Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor, and Social Affairs to increase the local employment requirement for the public sector.

According to the Qatar News Agency’s (QNA’s) Twitter account, the decision will seek to increase the ratio of Qatari nationals to non-nationals at state-owned companies, or where the state is an investor, to 60%. The draft decision also noted that the country’s authorities would seek to increase these levels to 80% in the future.

The move by Qatari authorities to increase the localised labour force requirements for state-owned enterprises comes as other countries in the region, notably Kuwait and Oman, have also sought to reduce the reliance on foreign labour in the public sector.

Qatar will be increasing the requirements for the employment of local nationals in state-owned companies and organisations where the state is an investor.