Immigration
Middle East | Government processing delays during Ramadan and Eid
Summary
The Islamic holy month of Ramadan is expected to start on 10 March and end on 9 April 2024. Governments around the Middle East have announced that during this month, Government offices as well as the private sector will observe shorter working hours.
The Detail
Immigration processing delays are expected throughout the next few weeks during the month of Ramadan, and may continue in the weeks following the Eid period, marking the end of Ramadan. Companies and Government offices will adopt reduced working hours across the Middle East. The Private sector in the UAE will reduce their working hours by two hours as per the Labour Law, and this applies to non-fasting employees as well (except in the DIFC and ADGM, where reducing hours for non-fasting employees is a business decision). The official working hours for federal government employees in the UAE during Ramadan will be from 9am to 2.30pm, from Monday to Thursday, and from 9am to 12pm, on Fridays, each week. In the KSA and Qatar, the private sector will also reduce their working hours by two hours as per the Labour Law, and this applies to employees across all jurisdictions – it has yet to be announced by the Governments of the KSA and Qatar what the official working hours will be.
What this means
In the UAE, employers and employees should anticipate processing delays during this period. Government offices as well as the private sector will close for three to four days during Eid Al Fitr, immediately following the month of Ramadan. In Qatar, the private sector will be closed for three official days, and Government offices will be closed for at least seven days (sometimes up to 10 days), depending on the Government’s official announcement. In KSA, employees are given four working days as official holidays – if these days fall on the weekend, additional days are granted by the Government. In case of time sensitive applications, companies should plan ahead and consider applications may take longer to process due to reduced Government working hours.
How we can help
We will continue to closely monitor and provide timely guidance on any new updates by the Immigration authorities in the Middle East concerning the upcoming public Eid holiday. We will also assist with strategising the timing of submission of visa and residence permit applications, and anticipated approval timelines in light of possible delays from the standard Government processing times.
Contact us
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Anir Chatterji
EMEA Immigration Partner
Ali Ibrahim
Director, KSA & Bahrain Immigration Lead
Rekha Simpson
Director, Middle East Immigration
Rens Jongerius
Manager, UAE Immigration
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Contact us on the following address – me-immigration@vialto.com
Vialto Partners (“Vialto”) refers to wholly owned subsidiaries of CD&R Galaxy UK OpCo Limited as well as the other members of the Vialto Partners global network. The information contained in this document is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Vialto is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Vialto, its related entities, or the agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this document or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
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Further information on Vialto Partners can be found here: www.vialtopartners.com
Vialto Partners (“Vialto”) refers to wholly owned subsidiaries of CD&R Galaxy UK OpCo Limited as well as the other members of the Vialto Partners global network. The information contained in this document is for general guidance on matters of interest only. Vialto is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Vialto, its related entities, or the agents or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this document or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.
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