June 4, 2003	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 3, 1424

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DUBAI, June 3: The authorities in Dubai have decided to ignore the six-month ban rule recently imposed on those expatriates who change jobs or sponsors. According to the rule any expatriate, even if he or she belongs to the exempt category, will be banned for six months from entering or getting employment in the UAE if he or she cancels her visa.

Officials of the Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department (DNRD) have confirmed a newspaper report that Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the deputy ruler of Dubai, has instructed “limiting imposition of the six-month ban to the least possible cases”.

While an amnesty by the UAE Government that ended two days ago has benefited mostly illegal Asian labours, keeping the six- months ban rule in the cold storage, will help mainly professionals who are not satisfied with their present employer or vise versa.

“The six-month ban does not achieve any positive objective as far as organising the labour market is concerned,” Colonel Saeed Mattar, Director of DNRD told Khaleej Times. “It drives away for six months those expatriates who worked in the UAE and gained their experience from their employment here,” he added.

Now those expatriates “who are eligible for sponsorship transfer and who fulfill all the stipulated conditions, including the consent of the sponsor, completion of one year in a company and a valid residence visa among others, will be eligible to change jobs within the country without being subjected to the six-month ban,” said the newspaper report.

Meanwhile the UAE immigration authorities have given 14 more days to those amnesty seekers who registered themselves with the authorities by May 31, 2003, the day when amnesty deadline ended.