In a first step in the Gulf, Bahrain has officially announced the cancellation of the guarantor system for expatriates working in the country, who are estimated at half a million people, constituting half the Bahraini population. The foreign workers would be able to change jobs freely and without the consent of their employer as of August. Minister of Manpower Majeed Al-Alawi said: "The decision conforms to the international regulations, and it will place Bahrain among the developed countries in this regard," expecting the salaries to rise without any negative repercussions on the labor market. Alawi denied any outside pressures put on Bahrain to take that decision and said other Gulf countries are contemplating the same.
