UAE | Employment
Sponsorship system should not be scrapped in haste - business leaders
The business community has advised caution in response to a call by Dubai Police chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim to abolish the sponsorship system.
- By Wafa Issa and Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporters
- Published: 22:47 June 24, 2009
- The system has overburdened UAE nationals and made them accountable for their employees' problems and therefore it should be scrapped, says Lt Gen Dahi Khalfan Tamim.
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Dubai: The business community has advised caution in response to a call by Dubai Police chief Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim to abolish the sponsorship system.
Any plan to abolish the sponsorship system should be studied thoroughly to ensure it does not hurt the interests of the private sector, business leaders said.
Dahi described the sponsorship system as a burden on UAE nationals, who have to be responsible for every aspect of workers' lives.
"Under the sponsorship system, Emiratis have become responsible for each and every detail of their employees' lives. This system has overburdened UAE nationals and made them accountable for their employees' problems and therefore it should be scrapped," said Dahi, on the sidelines of a workshop on the role of labour inspectors.
"Abolishing the sponsorship system will not threaten the country's security," he said.
Dahi said he has not made this proposal to the government and there has been no official discussion on the issue.
Ahmad Saif Belhasa, chairman of the UAE Contractors' Association, said: "A decision to scrap the sponsorship programme must not be taken in haste. Any change must be studied in detail."
The primary concern with any plan to abolish the system is the demographic balance of the UAE, said Belhasa.
"There will be a security threat with the influx of an unregulated expatriate workforce.
"This aspect must be addressed. The UAE's national interests are paramount and above those of international organisations," said Belhasa.
In May, Bahrain's Labour Minister Majid Al Alawi said Bahrain would do away with the sponsorship system, making it the first Gulf country to do so.
However, the decision has been staunchly resisted by the business community in his country. Qatar is also studying the option to scrap the sponsorship system.
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