The UAE Ministry of Labor is going to reduce from three to two years the validity of a labor card, which gives the right to work in the country, for employees of private sector companies from January 2011. This innovation will also affect resident visas of expatriates, the issuance of which will now be issued also every two years instead of three. With these actions, the country's authorities want to reduce the duration of work contracts and the time that employees must spend with one employer.
According to the official representative of the UAE Minister of Labor, the new rules for issuing resident visas and labor cards will "equalize" all private sector workers with drivers and household assistants who have been issued residence visas for two years for a long time. “This decision will have a positive impact on the UAE labor market, help create more flexible relations between workers and employers, and also reduce the time for their business relationships,” said Humeid bin Dimas, UAE First Deputy Minister of Labor.
