The report issued by the Central Department of Statistics in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior show the total number of residence permits granted to foreigners during the past year was 2,838,613, an increase of 318 thousand residences compared to 2021.
According to the statistics, the largest increase in annual residence permits was distributed between the domestic workers and private sectors, at a rate of 162,000 new residence permits for domestic workers and 165,000 for the private sector last year, reports Al-Qabas daily.
The report stated that the total number of residence permits granted for the first time last year amounted to 123,359, 67.2% of which were for expatriates coming from non-Arab Asian countries.
The private sector witnessed the entry of only 22,258 workers last year, which is the largest percentage after stopping the entry of workers during the Corona pandemic during 2020 and 2021.
The family sector also witnessed a wide entry of domestic workers, with a total of 42,800 workers, which is the largest number compared to the past three years, in addition to the increase in the number of families joining an average of 23,416 residents.
The report revealed that there were 27,690 violators of the residence law registered during the past year, 34% of whom hold the No 20 visa, followed by 32% of those who entered the country on a visitor or “temporary residence” visa.
The sources indicated that 64.4% of residency violators are non-Arab Asians, with a total of 17,850, followed by 7,582 Arabs.
The report pointed out that the number of violators in 2022 was the lowest among the past three years and ranged between 36.3 thousand and 42 thousand violators, while the total cumulative number of residency violators in the country reached 133,440, of whom 49.4% were domestic workers, followed by 30,417 expatriates who entered the country on visit visas and then 29.7 thousand violators working in the private sector.
The report said the total number of residence permits canceled during the past year was 56,279, 54% of which were for non-Arab Asian workers.
The competent authorities canceled 12,911 temporary residence “visas” during the same period, and 4,769 workers in the government sector, followed by 17,376 others in the private sector.
Also, 5 residence permits for self-employment activities were revoked, and 5,871 for domestic workers, in addition to 15,131 for those joining a family, and 104 carrying Article 24, self sponsor.
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