Qatar to allot 20,000 work visas for Palestinians

10 years ago | Posted in: Business | 473 Views

Qatar has agreed to allocate some 20,000 work visas to the Palestinian people, the first such allotment granted to the group by the Gulf country in more than eight years, according to the state’s ambassador in Doha.

Speaking to Doha News, Ambassador Munir Ghannam said that the visas were in response to a request made by Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah during a visit to Qatar late last year.

The visas, the first of which are expected to be issued next week, would allow those holding Palestinian identification documents – and do not necessarily have passports – to work in Qatar, and would roughly double the size of the Palestinian population here, Ghannam said.

He added, however, that thousands of residents of Palestinian origin holding foreign passports do live in Qatar, but he has no estimates on that.

Ghannam said the measure would provide much-needed work and income for residents of the occupied territories, where the unemployment rate is estimated to be around 23 percent.

“It’s one of the best moments for me (in the time that) I’ve lived in Qatar,” Ghannam said.

Process

Many Gulf nations maintain quotas on the number of foreign workers that can be brought in from various countries. In Qatar, Ghannam said the quota for new Palestinians has remained at zero since he assumed his post eight years ago.

To facilitate the job application process, the respective ministries of labor are establishing an electronic database that would allow Palestinians to upload their CVs and be reviewed by company managers in Qatar, according to the ambassador.

If a company is interested in hiring a worker, officials in this country can extend an employment offer and initiate the sponsorship process… see more

source: dohanews

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