A new minimum wage of 230 euros per month, or one euro an hour, came into force on Saturday in Qatar, according to official media, as the country revises its labor laws ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This salary is applicable to Qataris as to many immigrant workers, many of whom work as domestic workers or workers on the World Cup sites, but it will mainly concern the latter because very few Qataris receive the minimum wage.
The Ministry of Labor "announced the implementation of the new minimum wage for all workers from Saturday," according to the official Qatari news agency QNA.
The new legislation requires all employees to be paid at least 1,000 rials (230 euros) for a month of full-time work, or about one euro an hour.
Previously, the minimum wage was set at 750 rials (173 euros) per month.
Employers are also required to provide board and lodging or an additional allowance of 800 rials per month (180 euros) for food and accommodation.
For the NGO Migrant Rights, the new minimum wage is too low and does not reflect the high cost of living in Qatar.
The Ministry of Labor, for its part, estimated that these changes would “stimulate investment in the local economy and promote economic growth”.
“Qatar is the first country in the region to introduce a non-discriminatory minimum wage,” the International Labor Organization (ILO) said in a statement Friday.
"More than 400,000 workers, or 20% of the private sector, will directly benefit," says the ILO.
Qatar has undergone a series of reforms to its labor regulations since being selected to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. The country, which is experiencing huge public works dependent on foreign workers, is particularly scrutinized by international organizations and NGOs.
