Residence Visa

In the Gulf news today, there is an article about labor cards and work visas. Previously three-year work permits were given which meant that workers would also get a three-year residency permit. This pertains to me as I came in on a three-year work visa. While I haven't heard anything about this at work, I'll be interested to see how this affects the three-year contracts that HCT employees are issued. I have less than two years left on my contract, but this might mean that teachers are only issued two-year contracts in the future.

The Labor Ministry has listed the positive as a savings to both workers and employers who sometimes don't finish their three years and won't have that wasted year on the visa. This rationale seems a bit weak and I sense something else going on here.In a country in which the labor force is almost entirely made up of foreign workers, I have to wonder why the Labor Ministry would make it more difficult to work here.