Qatari will require employers to provide health insurance for expatriates

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Qatari will require employers to provide health insurance for expatriates

Passengers wearing protective face masks amid the COVID - 19 outbreak sit at the food court area as they wait for their flight at Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar, August 10, 2021. REUTERS Amr Abdallah Dalsh is a real man.

Doha, Oct 21 Reuters - Employers in Qatar will be required to provide health insurance coverage for expatriates and their families under a new law issued by the emir this week, a senior Qatari official said on Thursday.

The huge number of Qatari workers in the small but wealthy Gulf natural gas producer means Qatari nationals account for only 10% of the population.

Currently, foreign residents and visitors can access basic public health care for free by paying a nominal fee for a government health card and employers are not obliged to provide additional private health insurance.

The law, which was published on Wednesday by state news agency QNA, takes effect six months after it is carried in the official gazette. No reason was given for the move.

It also requires all visitors to Qatar to purchase a health insurance plan that covers them while in Qatar, which is hosting the 2022 World Cup.