Sharjah Executive Council (SEC) granted 60-day maternity leave to mothers and 3-day paid leave for fathers

Mothers in Sharjah will be granted a 60-day maternity leave, announced the Sharjah Executive Council (SEC) on Saturday. This applies to all residents in Sharjah.

Tariq Sultan bin Khadim, Member of the Sharjah Executive Council (SEC) lauded the SEC decision granting non Emirati mothers a maternity leave for 60 days with pay in implementation to the directives by His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.

Previously, expat mothers were granted a 45-day maternity leave, while Emirati mothers would be able to take a paid leave for 60 days after giving birth.

Commending the gesture of Ruler of Sharjah, Khadim added that the move aims to give the expatriate mothers their natural right to look after their babies.

The male employees whom their wives deliver babies in and outside UAE are entitled to the fatherhood leave for three days with pay.

Sharjah is the first emirate to implement the extended maternity leave, as all other emirates apply a 45-day leave in line with the UAE Labor Law. Furthermore, paternity leave is not included in the Law.

“A working woman is entitled to 45 days maternity leave with full pay which includes the period before and after the delivery, provided she has served continuously for not less than one year.

The maternity leave is granted with half pay if the woman has not completed one year of service. At the end of the maternity leave, a working woman has the right to extend her maternity leave for a maximum period of l0 days without pay,” states the Law.

It further reads: “During the 18 months following delivery, a female employee who nurses her child has the right to have two daily intervals which do not exceed half an hour each for the purpose of nursing her child. These additional intervals are considered part of her working hours and no deduction in wages can be made.”

India to issue visa-on-arrival facility to 180 countries

India tightened entry restrictions in 2009 in the wake of revelations that David Headley, a foreign militant who helped plot the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, regularly stayed in India on long-term tourist visas.
Taking a much appreciated move, Indian officials decided to extend visa-on arrival to tourists of all nations, as it looks to boost tourism. Rajeev Shukla, the Planning Minister, on Wednesday, Feb 5 informed that only eight countries will not be allowed to apply for the same. According to sources, the eight countries are -- Pakistan, Sudan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Somalia. The minister, however, refused to give any details of reason(s) for which the nationals of above mentioned countries will be barred from this facility.
Reports from India say the visa on arrival facility includes citizens of the United Arab Emirates.Most foreigners currently have to wait several weeks before learning whether they will be allowed to enter India after submitting their applications at visa processing centres, a major deterrent for potential visitors.

Under the new scheme, many tourists will be allowed to apply online and then receive the green light within five days, before picking up their visa at the airport on arrival into India.
"We have decided to extend the visa-on-arrival facility to tourists from 180 nations," Planning Minister Rajiv Shukla told reporters in the capital late Wednesday.
"The facility will provide a major boost to the country's tourism sector. This is historic," Shukla said.
Visitors from countries which account for the bulk of India's tourists -- such as the United States, Britain and France -- that have had to go through the time-consuming process of applying in person will be among those to benefit from the changes to regulations.

A meeting of top foreign ministry, tourism and other government officials on Wednesday cleared the way for the changes, which were also recently approved by the India's intelligence agencies.
The changes were first mooted last October, although only for 40 countries.
The government hopes to have the necessary infrastructure in place, including at the country's airports, by October in time for the start of the peak tourist season, local media reported Thursday.
India currently issues visas on arrival to visitors from 11 foreign nations, including Japan, Finland and Indonesia.
Despite its cultural attractions, beaches and mountains, India attracts relatively few foreign holidaymakers -- 6.58 million in 2012, which was about a quarter of Thailand or Malaysia.

UAE Anti-tobacco Law in effect from January 21

The much anticipated Anti-tobacco Federal Law has come into place on January 21. A number of rules must be taken into consideration, as violators may be met with hefty fines.

On July 21, 2013 the Ministry of Health announced the executive regulations of the Anti-tobacco Federal Law, which was approved by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in the Cabinet's Resolution No 24.

During the course of the next 6 months, the public was able to take the required measures to comply with the new law. As shopkeepers, distributers and the hospitality sector have geared up for the day of implementation, the individual smoker too should be well aware of the new rules from today onward in order to avoid being fined.A couple of rules have been implemented to protect the younger generation from the harm that can be caused through smoking and passive smoking. By far the most-talked about rule is the restriction of smoking in the car in the presence of a child below 12 years.

The violator will be fined with a Dh500 penalty, and Dubai Police is tasked with the enforcement of this rule. So, from today, good behaviour on the road goes beyond being a good driver.

Further, the young generation will not be able to purchase any tobacco products, as the sale of these products to any person under the age of 18 is a violation. Similarly, shisha products may not be provided to persons under the age of 18. Those flouting these rules may be fined with penalties between Dh500-10,000.

Shopkeepers and café owners will have to abide by an additional set of rules. Shisha shops and shops selling tobacco products may no longer be available near schools and mosques. A minimum distance of 15 metres should be maintained from kindergartens, schools, universities and colleges, a minimum of 100 metres from places of worship. A minimum of 150 metres from residential areas is the rule for shisha cafes.

Further, tobacco products cannot be displayed near items marketed for children, or sportswear, health, food and electronic products.

Advertising of tobacco products is no longer permitted.  The law bans any content that advertises tobacco products, such as newspaper advertisements, TV commercials and animations.

It also bans importing tobacco products that are not line with technical standards set by the UAE, and any violations regarding such imports can lead to a one year prison sentence and a fine ranging from Dh100,000 to Dh1 million, in addition to the confiscation of products.

The law also provides specifications on the packaging of tobacco products. All products must now display a large warning label on the front to raise awareness on the dangers of tobacco, and not to mislead them. Violators will be fined Dh100,000 to Dh1 million, and the fines can be doubled if the offence is repeated.

Shisha cafes are subjected to specific rules when it comes to their opening hours. The regulations specify that these cafes must comply to working hours from 10am to midnight. Shishas may not be served to customers younger than 18 years, and the cafes will be forbidden from delivering shishas to apartments.

Finally, growing or producing tobacco for commercial purposes will also be forbidden, and current manufacturing plants have been given a grace period of 10 years to sort out their situation, while tobacco farms have been given a two-year grace period.

Expatriates to clear all fines before visa cancellation in UAE

Image Credit: Gulf News

Expatriates will not be allowed to leave the UAE unless they have paid all their fines in line with new Interior Ministry measures.

“Expatriates must not have any unpaid fines or any police cases against them in order to be able to cancel their visa to leave the country or to get a new visa here,” Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of Dubai Residency and Foreigners Affairs Department in Dubai (GDRFA) .He said this applied all over the country.
According to new rules implemented by the Ministry of Interior late last year the rules will be expanded to cover all financial commitments by expatriates.
“We have linked procedures to cancel visas for expatriates with the payment of all their road fines.”
The computer systems of the traffic police and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have already been linked to all Residency and Foreigners Affairs Departments in the UAE.
This step is to ensure that expatriates pay all their financial dues.
An American resident in Sharjah, who had his visa issued by Sharjah Free Zone and who wanted to have his visa cancelled to change jobs, said he was shocked to discover he owed Dh10,000 in Salik fines.
William M. said he was new to the country and did not know about Salik.
“When I bought and registered my car no one told me that I needed a Salik tag,” he said.
He said he was asked by the residency department in Sharjah to pay his RTA fines in Dubai before getting his visa cancelled by the Sharjah Free Zone.

“I had to pay Dh10,000 in traffic fines.”

He said newcomers to the country should be educated about the rules here to avoid breaking the law.

UAE to launch mobile phone services for visit visas, domestic help cards and passport renewal

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Interior will soon offer services via smart phones to renew passports, 30-day and 90-day visit visas, as well as domestic workers card and entry permits among other services, a senior official said Monday.
Major General Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al Raisi, Director General of Central Operations at Abu Dhabi Police, said the Ministry of Interior launched 169 electronic services through its website, and 30 smart services via mobile phones.
“The services offered in the first phase include vehicle registration renewal, payment of fines through mobile phones and the Ministry of Interior’s website without having to visit the relevant service centre,” Al Raisi said.
He added work was under way to add the passport renewal service for mobile phones in the coming days, in addition to the 30-day (short term visits) and 90-day visit visas (long term visits) service, the domestic workers card and entry permit and other security services.
The Ministry of Interior will be achieving full automation of the 339 services it offers through smart phones or through its website by the end of the year, in addition to the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and Interactive Messaging Services,” Al Raisi said.