Qatar may loosen restrictions on the hiring of single expat women, in part to help employers adhere to a law preventing men from working in women’s clothing shops, a Ministry of Labor official has said.

The current restrictions in issuing visas to young, unmarried females are to ensure their safety and well-being, Nasser bin Abdullah Al Humaidi, acting Minister of Labor and Minister of Social Affairs, told Al Watan.

But as market demands grow, the MOL said it is establishing a task force to reevaluate visa procedures for young single women. Facilitating the employment of this demographic would also help the Ministry of Business and Trade enface a law passed last November banning salesmen in women’s lingerie shops, Al Sharq reports.

The Peninsula translates:

The notice was issued under law No. 8: 2008 concerning consumer protection and giving the right of privacy to the customer and commercial activities should not disturb social and religious values.

Abdul Qassim, Director of Souq Al Jabir said: Only about 70 percent of shops have implemented the law while others continue to ignore it. Consumer Protection Department officials do inspect shops, but they can’t actually find the violators of the law as shops have male and female workers.” 

In January, Saudi Arabia began enforcing its own ban on male salesmen in lingerie shops, and will soon expand that restriction to apply to cosmetics stores. KSA’s justification, however, according to King Abdullah, was to reduce the high female unemployment rate in the country.

But locals there said it also helped alleviate embarrassment among women shopping in these stores.

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Credit: Photo by Aamy