Expat wives in Saudi Arabia must give up their jobs before July 3, 2013, and become ladies of leisure.
The order comes from influential Abdullah Bin Mohammed Alolyan, director general of the government’s Ministry of Labour in Jeddah.
He made clear while speaking at a conference that women who were in Saudi as ‘housewives’ cannot work – but their sons and daughters are allowed to take up jobs under sponsorship.
Thousands of expat women have jobs as language teachers at private schools, in health care, shops, hairdressers and beauty parlours and will have to simply stop working or face prosecution and deportation within a month.
The ban will have a massive impact on businesses, who will suddenly lose a work force numbering thousands, as well as expat family incomes.
“Other government departments may well comment on the issue, but they are not in the loop,” said the minister, explaining messages from other officials hinting that no ban would be implemented.
Kuwait cancels expat driving licences
Thousands of expats drivers have lost their driving licences as the Kuwaiti government puts a brake on reckless motorists.
More than 1,300 expats have been deported and 1,000 vehicles seized in the crackdown in the past month.
Now, the government is cancelling thousands of driving licences issued to students who have finished their courses and women who went to the country on a family visa.
Kuwaiti traffic laws limit granting a licence to motorists with a degree who earn at least US$1,400 a month.
Besides withdrawing licences, the traffic department has waived impounding vehicles if owners have unpaid traffic fines to encourage them to settle their debts.
Major General Abdelfattah Al-Ali has argued that the deportations are fair as running a red light is as bad as premeditated murder.
The Kuwaiti government has also banned expats from seeking medical treatment in the mornings in a bid to ease ‘overcrowding’ at hospitals and clinics.
Skilled workers wanted in Canada
Canada is brushing up the national image to make moving there more attractive to skilled expats.
The Federal Skilled Worker Program assessment has been revamped to give skilled workers with language skills a better chance of winning a visa. The streamlining includes making the visa application process faster.
“Creating employment, promoting economic growth and a more prosperous country are top government objectives,” said Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney.
“These new rules help us attract the right expats who can integrate and do a good job in our economy.”
Meanwhile, in the West (for example UK) if you enter the country with a visa other than WORKING VISA’ you are NOT allowed to work! why isn’t that a head line? simply because they are not Arabs!