Expats who change name after marriage must get new ID card - EIDA

Expatriates in the UAE who change their surnames after marriage must obtain new Emirates Identity Cards.
According to Emirates Identity Authority (Eida) individuals who change their family names after marriage need to replace their old ID Cards, reported Emarat Al Youm.

And in case there is no change to the name, residents will still need to visit their nearest registration centres within a month of their wedding and update their status on their ID cards. The service is free of charge and can be quickly completed, added the Authority.

Eida added that any minor change in personal details, such as a change in address or designation will also have to be updated on the ID Cards.

They are required to visit registration centres or electronic booths of Eida.

Residents can check their details by going to the ‘update and review your card information’ online.

Similarly, if residents type in errors about their personal information, they are required to contact the customer service centre and rectify the mistake. But if the card has been printed and delivered with a mistake on, then the holder must contact the nearest registration centre.

As per the regulations of the Federal Law, residents registered with Eida and the population register must inform the Authority about any change in their personal information within a month of the change taking place.

UAE clarifies minimum salary rule for three categories

A minimum salary rule will be applied by the Ministry of Labour to three categories of employees, provided they have a secondary school certificate or a higher educational certificate, local Arabic daily Al Khaleej has reported.
Ministry officials said the private sector workers are grouped into five skilled labour categories, adding that employees of the first category should be university graduates and should receive a minimum monthly salary of Dh12,000.
The second category include technicians who should receive not less than Dh7,000, while the third are skillful labourers who must be paid at least Dh5,000, provided they have a secondary school certificate.

According to the report, the latest ministry regulations followed requests by a number of   employees wishing to change their jobs for higher salary and other reasons.

The report states that many of the applications were rejected because they did not meet the necessary conditions. The Ministry has also said it had agreed on bringing labour from outside the UAE as long as all labour conditions are met.
The report quoted the ministry as saying it will not give new labour permits to employees in case the salary they will receive in the new company is less than what the ministry has previously decided.

In such a case, they will have approval six months after the cancellation of the old labour card.
To be given a labour permit, the qualifications of the employees should suit the nature of the job, it said.

UAE Nurseries must have licence from Ministry of Social Affairs

A new law regulating nurseries in the UAE that was recently adopted by the Council of Ministers prohibits nurseries from operating without a licence from the Ministry of Social Affairs,  the Arabic newspaper Al Khaleej has reported.

Violators face both fines and imprisonment, the ministry has warned.

Meanwhile, Mouza Al-Shoumi, director of the children’s department at the Ministry of Social Affairs, told ‘Al Khaleej’ that Article II of the law says that nurseries must provide care and education to children in a safe environment.
She added nurseries must help to develop the child's personality, talents, and mental and physical abilities, including communication skills.
She said the new law empowers local authorities in each emirate to lay down conditions for granting licences to nurseries.She said according to the new law, the chairman of the company seeking a nursery school licence should be an Emirati. The ministry will not approve issue of a licence if the chairman is not an Emirati.

She also said the new law contains a commitment to children with special needs. It also mentions qualifications of nursery school staff, their appointment and the building’s specifications.

UAE Ministry of Labour stipulates salary for graduates in private sector not less than Dh12,000

A minimum salary rule will be applied by the Ministry of Labour to three categories of employees, provided they have a secondary school certificate or a higher educational certificate, local Arabic daily Al Khaleej has reported.

Ministry officials said the private sector workers are grouped into five skilled labour categories, adding that employees of the first category should be university graduates and should receive a minimum monthly salary of Dh12,000.

The second category include technicians who should receive not less than Dh7,000, while the third are skillful labourers who must be paid at least Dh5,000, provided they have a secondary school certificate.

According to the report, the latest ministry regulations followed requests by a number of   employees wishing to change their jobs for higher salary and other reasons.

The report states that many of the applications were rejected because they did not meet the necessary conditions. The Ministry has also said it had agreed on bringing labour from outside the UAE as long as all labour conditions are met.

The report quoted the ministry as saying it will not give new labour permits to employees in case the salary they will receive in the new company is less than what the ministry has previously decided.

In such a case, they will have approval six months after the cancellation of the old labour card.

To be given a labour permit, the qualifications of the employees should suit the nature of the job, it said.

India raises concern over Saudi’s new labour policy-Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamad today met Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, vice minister of Foreign Affairs

Dushanbe: India Friday raised its concern with Saudi Arabia over its policy of reserving 10 per cent jobs for locals, a decision which will hit over 3 lakh low- and semi-skilled workers from India with a sizable number coming from Kerala.

Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamad, who is in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, to attend the Asian Development Dialogue, Friday met Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, vice minister of Foreign Affairs, and conveyed the anxiety and concerns of India on the issue.

The Prince assured Ahamad that Saudi will always give the best consideration for Indians working in the Kingdom and values its very cordial relations with India.

The Saudi Minister, who is here to attend the conference, said he will bring the matter to the notice of the Labour Ministry and concerned authorities when he gets back to Riyadh.

On his part, Ahamad told the Prince that India enjoys the best of relations with Saudi and hope that no step will be taken that will adversely affect expatriates in the Kingdom.

The Indian Embassy has also taken up the matter with the Saudi Government, Ahamad told PTI adding, "There is no panic situation as of now. The Indian government will pursue the matter in the best possible way."

Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi yesterday said he had asked the Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia to take up the issue with Riyadh and its Labour Ministry and ensure that there would be no job loss for Indians on a mass scale.

The new labour policy, called Nitaqat, might lead to the denial of job opportunities for large number of expatriates from India, especially from Kerala, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"It has come to my notice that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has initiated strong steps to implement Nitaquat law to expand employment avenues to its nationals which may ultimately lead to the denial of job opportunities for expatriates," he said. In 2011, 2.28 million Keralites were working abroad. Of them, some 570,000 are in Saudi Arabia, a report said