The 15-day initiative starts on 15 June, aiming to simplify procedures so they are completed within just 48 hours and regularize staff status
Tourism and Labor Ministers: The goal is stability for the tourism sector and a decent work environment that encourages investment while protecting workers' rights
Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Sherif Fathy, Minister of Labor Hassan Radad and Hossam El Shaer, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, today launched a cooperation initiative between the Ministry of Labor and the Egyptian Tourism Federation to simplify procedures for issuing work permits for foreigners at hotel establishments, as part of the state's efforts to strengthen the investment climate and support tourism as one of the most promising sectors of the national economy.
The 15-day initiative starts on 15 June and aims to simplify procedures for obtaining work permits for foreigners at tourism establishments in a number of key areas: Luxor, South Sinai, the Red Sea, the North Coast and El Alamein, with the possibility of expanding to other governorates in the future after being presented to the Minister of Labor.
In this framework, the Ministry of Labor will receive permit applications in the target areas throughout the initiative and work to speed up procedures and issue permits within just two working days of the application date, achieving speedy completion and easing the burden on investors.
The two ministers stressed the importance of the initiative in supporting the stability of the tourism sector and enhancing its operational efficiency, and in creating a decent work environment that encourages investment, helping to encourage investment flows and improve service quality, while protecting workers' rights and regulating employment in accordance with legal controls and approved standards, as it targets an important segment working in the tourism sector and reflects the keenness of all parties to achieve balanced interests between workers and employers.
The two ministers added that the initiative is a successful model of cooperation and coordination between the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and the private sector, represented by the Egyptian Tourism Federation and its tourism chambers, serving the goals of developing Egypt's tourism sector.
The initiative is in line with the state's drive to create an attractive investment environment, remove obstacles facing investors and support the sustainability of tourism projects by simplifying procedures and facilitating services, helping to raise operational efficiency and improve service quality within the sector.
The initiative protocol was signed by Hossam El Shaer, Chairman of the Egyptian Tourism Federation, and Karima Abdel Rahman, Director General of Foreign Work Permits at the Ministry of Labor.
The initiative provides for the following:
Issuing temporary 6-month work permits for animators and group coordinators, exempting these categories from the experience certificate and recruitment requirements.
Exempting tourism establishments in the designated areas from the maximum ratio of foreign workers for these two professions only.
The Egyptian Tourism Federation will circulate the instructions to the target establishments, cooperate with the Ministry of Labor in implementing the provisions, and urge establishments to apply for permits quickly during the initiative period.
Setting up a joint follow-up mechanism between the two sides to ensure proper implementation, study and overcome any obstacles that may arise during application, evaluate the initiative's results after it ends and consider renewing or developing it based on the results presented to the Minister of Labor.
