Expat News

Kuwait's New Entertainment City Gets A Boost

The long-awaited Kuwait's Entertainment City project has got a boost after the recent approval by Kuwait’s Municipal Council to transfer the ownership of the long-anticipated Entertainment City project from the Amiri Diwan to the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA). This move by the government is seen as a strong push for supporting development projects in the country. It will contribute to Kuwait's objective of lessening the country's dependence on oil-based revenue and attracting revenue through upgradation of the tourism sector. According to sources, the new Entertainment City project aims for completion within two years..The KIA has assured the Municipal Council that it will present a comprehensive vision for the project and launch it within six months.

Hamsa Balakrishnan Appointed New Associate Dean of MIT, US

Hamsa Balakrishnan has been appointed the Associate Dean of MIT, Massachusetts, US. Her new role will see her spearheading initiatives aimed at attracting, retaining and nurturing talent with the school of engineering. Also, she will undertake faculty-focused  programs, oversee various student-oriented initiatives, as well as manage fellowship, honours and awards. In her previous capacity as the principal investigator of Dynamics, Infrastructure Networks and Mobility (DINaMo) group, Hamsa led research into the optimisation of infrastructure systems, besides collaborating with the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, and major airports. Hamsa succeeds Elsa Olivetti, who has been named Mission Director for the MIT climate project. Elsa will remain in the position until the end of August 2024. 

New Saudi Labour Law Amendments

The following are some of the new revisions to the Saudi Labour Law that are being introduced in the Kingdom.

The revisions have given working women the right to twelve weeks of paid maternity leave, of which six weeks are required after childbirth. The remaining six weeks can be used anyway the woman sees appropriate, beginning four weeks prior to the expected date of delivery. The working woman is entitled to a one-month unpaid leave extension in all circumstances. Regarding death leave, a three-day paid leave has been added in the event that a brother or sister passes away, which is computed from the day of the incident.

The modifications include a clause that allows for the possibility of agreeing to get compensatory leave in exchange for working overtime. As per the new labour law's modifications, all working hours completed on holidays, including Eid, count as overtime.

UAE To Roll Out Visa Amnesty From September 1

With only a few days left before the UAE rolls out its two-month visa amnesty scheme from September 1, facilitator centres are inundated with calls and enquiries from overstaying expatriates who wish to regularise their residency status. During the grace period, illegal residents will have the opportunity to get their fines waived of, so that they can either go back to their home country or stay in the Emirates.

As per sources, an overstayer could submit his documents for assessment, which would then be handed over to an Amer centre. Once the application is approved by the authorities, an outpass will be issued, and the illegal resident will have 14 days to exit the country. The overstayer will have to either get an offer letter from a company and apply for a visa to continue staying or leave the country.