#Qatar’s landmark minimum wage comes into force | Business and Economy News | Al Jazeera

Qatar’s landmark minimum wage comes into force | Business and Economy News | Al Jazeera

Qatar’s new minimum wage law has come into force on Saturday for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers as it becomes the first country in the region to adopt a non-discriminatory minimum wage.

The new legislation ensures all employees receive a minimum monthly wage of 1,000 Qatari riyals ($275), as well as a minimum allowance of 300 riyals for food and 500 riyals for housing, unless their employer provides both.

More than 400,000 workers – or 20 percent of the private sector – will benefit directly from the new law, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).

Qatar has only 300,000 citizens of its own among a population of 2.7 million.

According to the Qatar Government Communication Office, more than 5,000 companies have already updated their payroll systems to adhere to the new legislation.