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The Lexis Middle East HR Alert for May 2026 detailed Egypt’s binding instructions that bar female Egyptian nationals from accepting overseas employment as housekeepers, cooks, nurses, waitresses or cafe workers. The prohibition, issued on April 1 2026, requires all recruitment agencies to halt processing of related applications while imposing sanctions on any parties that fail to comply. The publication presented the measure as one element in a wider set of regulatory adjustments aimed at the labour market. It stopped short of analysing underlying drivers or projected impacts on migration patterns.
The same edition of the alert noted that Egypt’s Cabinet had simultaneously announced a 21 percent rise in public sector wages, lifting the minimum salary to 8,000 Egyptian pounds. This adjustment arrives amid broader economic measures intended to support state employees. The Lexis Middle East HR Alert placed the wage decision alongside the travel ban as twin developments within Egyptian labour policy during the spring of 2026.
Across the Gulf, Kuwait’s Public Authority for Manpower confirmed it had received no complaints concerning worker transfers out of restricted sectors ahead of Decision No. 2 of 2026, which takes effect between May 1 and June 30 2026. The authority additionally rolled out digital work permit services on the Ashal portal, allowing applicants to complete submissions entirely online. These steps, as reported in the May 2026 alert, form part of ongoing efforts to streamline residency and employment procedures in the country.
In Oman the Hotel and Tourism Federation clarified that the customary 8 percent service charge applied in the hospitality sector must be disbursed directly in cash to staff rather than retained by employers. The General Federation of Oman Workers set out comprehensive procedures for work injury claims that encompass immediate reporting to the Ministry of Labour, provision of medical care, calculation of compensation and routes for judicial appeal. The Ministry of Labour separately established rules permitting refunds of unused ticket fees after four years in cases of absconding workers or cancelled permits, the alert stated.
Abu Dhabi authorities tightened requirements for government appointments and promotions by insisting on stricter adherence to qualification and performance criteria, according to the Lexis publication. Administrative Decision No. 1 of 2026 created a structured framework covering 15 distinct categories of leave available to public sector employees. The changes standardise processes that had previously varied across different entities within the emirate’s administration.
Further updates compiled in the May 2026 alert included Bahrain’s Shura Council referring a draft law on mandatory disability job quotas back to committee for additional scrutiny. Syria’s finance minister declared an income tax exemption for all individuals whose annual earnings fall below 50 million Syrian pounds. In Turkey lawmakers advanced a draft bill offering wage and social-security incentives to employers who hire unemployed people aged 18 to 25, while a parliamentary committee recommended extending parallel support packages for crisis-affected occupations such as fishermen and taxi drivers through the second quarter of 2026.
