RIYADH: Oman has amended its Foreigners’ Residence Law to enable expatriate workers to transfer jobs without seeking prior approval from their employer, local daily Times of Oman reported on Tuesday.
The amendment scrapped the “No Objection Certificate” (NOC) requirement which, according to the Oman Human Rights Commission, will increase competitiveness between Omani and expatriate workers.
Employees were previously required to obtain an NOC from their employers when switching jobs. The new decision will now allow employees to find new jobs based solely on the expiration of work contracts.
The commission added that the decision was also expected to reduce the number of expats leaving the country, who do so because of their failure to get NOCs.
“The decision will also contribute to reducing the cases of non-Omani labour absconding, especially those who are denied an NOC, thus forcing the worker to stay outside the country after the expiry of his contract,” the commission said in its annual report.
The changes were also expected to reduce the wage gap between locals and expats, according to Times of Oman
“All these legislative and legal amendments, which came in response to the current circumstances, will undoubtedly have a more positive impact on protecting the rights of citizens and residents,” the commission said.
Saudi Arabia recently introduced the Labor Reform Initiative in November last year, which designated the exceptional situations in which foreign workers were permitted to move to a new workplace without the prior consent of their employer.
