Qatar’s ministries, government institutions and public entities will get 11 days off for Eid al-Fitr this year, in a move that’s likely to benefit the minority native Qataris but not the majority foreign expatriates who actually make the country tick.
According to a report in Doha News, the Eid vacation is due to start on Wednesday, July 15 and the official holiday will end on Thursday, July 23, according to an announcement today from the Emiri Diwan.
The exact date of Eid will be determined by the sighting of the new moon, but it is anticipated that the holiday will begin this Friday, July 17 or Saturday, July 18.
However, employees in the private sector and banking staff are normally given leave of around three days for the Eid al-Fitr.
Other non-government employees will have to wait until Eid has been officially announced to be certain of any vacation period.
In general, the workforce distribution in Qatar is as follows: 81.7% in the private sector, 13.3% in the public sector and 3.3% in the mixed sector.
Social Statistics from 2003-2012 show that non-Qatari employment constituted 57% in the public sector while Qatari employment made up 43%.
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On the other hand, Qataris comprised 0.8% of labor force in private sector, whereas non-Qataris comprised 99.2%.
In general, the labor market in Qatar is dominated by expatriates but government companies and corporations widely encourage Qataris to join their staff which state that experience is not required for Qatari applicants.
The benefits offered by the public sector make it almost impossible for anyone to turn down the job offer and Qataris will always have the priority, higher offers, and most benefits from both sectors.
