Reports say that Indians working in the tech sector abroad are looking to return to India. There has been an increase in the number of Indian expats seeking opportunities and looking for options to settle in India. What's behind this trend?

Gravitas | Indian expat techies are looking to return home. Here's why

The new Nicole Kidman-led drama series 'Expats' is being blocked in the Chinese territory of Hong Kong despite the story being set in the region. The first two episodes were released globally by Amazon Prime on January 26. However, would-be viewers in Hong Kong are met with a message that says, “currently unavailable to watch in your location.”

Nicole Kidman's controversial new series 'Expats' gets censored

Big Little Lies is coming closer to season 3 release as actor Nicole Kidman confirmed to Variety that she has constantly been messaging castmate Reese Witherspoon about it.&nbsp;Kidman attended the premiere of her new series Expats as she discussed Big Little Lies season 3.&nbsp;

Speaking to Variety on what's happening with Big Little Lies, the actress said, “We’re at work on it. She also said that she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season.&nbsp;

"And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it," she added.

When asked for more details, Nicole laughed it off and said, “We can’t say anything more. We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.”

Earlier, Reese had confirmed that a new season for Big Little Lies was in the making.&nbsp;

<h2><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-naomi-campbell-turns-showstopper-for-balmains-menswear-collection-see-her-futuristic-look-682407">Naomi Campbell turns showstopper for Balmain's menswear collection, see her futuristic look</a></h2>

Reportedly, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman have been in touch with Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Expats&nbsp;is a six-part limited series for Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Lulu Wang and based on the best-selling novel The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee, the show stars Kidman along with Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, and Jack Huston. The script centers around women living in Hong Kong in 2014 whose lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy. It will premiere on Prime Video on January 26.

Big Little Lies is coming closer to season 3 release as actor Nicole Kidman confirmed to Variety that she has constantly been messaging castmate Reese Witherspoon about it.

Big Little Lies is coming closer to season 3 release as actor Nicole Kidman confirmed to Variety that she has constantly been messaging castmate Reese Witherspoon about it. Kidman attended the premiere of her new series Expats as she discussed Big Little Lies season 3. Speaking to Variety on what's happening with Big Little Lies, the actress said, “We’re at work on it. She also said that she and Reese Witherspoon are “texting every day” about the third season. "And there’s a timeline and we’re doing it," she added. When asked for more details, Nicole laughed it off and said, “We can’t say anything more. We’ve got to start keeping our mouths shut…We’ve got to button it.” Earlier, Reese had confirmed that a new season for Big Little Lies was in the making. Naomi Campbell turns showstopper for Balmain's menswear collection, see her futuristic look Reportedly, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman have been in touch with Big Little Lies author Liane Moriarty. Meanwhile, Expats is a six-part limited series for Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Lulu Wang and based on the best-selling novel The Expatriates by Janice Y. K. Lee, the show stars Kidman along with Sarayu Blue, Ji-young Yoo, Brian Tee, and Jack Huston. The script centers around women living in Hong Kong in 2014 whose lives intersect after a sudden family tragedy. It will premiere on Prime Video on January 26.

Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon have been "texting" each other about Big Little Lies S3

A landmark legislation came into effect in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February&nbsp;1 which will fasten up the process of marriage for non-Muslim expatriates or non-Muslims living in the Middle East country. This legislation overhaul in the UAE's judicial system holds extreme significance as the old laws required non-Muslim couples to marry and divorce by following the country's Sharia law.&nbsp;

However, under the new Personal Status Law for non-Muslims, family matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance, will, child custody and paternity will be covered without following the Sharia law.&nbsp;Expatriates earlier had to go through the UAE's Sharia law to get married or divorce, even if it differed from the laws in their own home country.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/democrat-ilhan-omar-ousted-from-house-foreign-affairs-committee-for-her-anti-semitic-comments-558401">Democrat Ilhan Omar ousted from House Foreign Affairs Committee for her anti-Semitic comments</a>

The reforms were first approved by the late UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 27 November 2021. Out of the seven emirates, only Abu Dhabi adopted the new reforms in November last year but now the law will be extended to all the seven emirates including Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-parliament-lifts-waives-immunity-from-prosecution-of-two-lawmakers-in-graft-probe-558350">EU Parliament waives immunity from prosecution of two lawmakers in bribery scam probe</a>

Under the new law, which Abu Dhabi has already implemented, more than 6,000 couples from 127 nations tied the knot. According to Khaleej Times, the majority of those who tied the knot were Filipinos. As many as 2,300 Filipino couples, 830 Indian couples and many Americans, Russians, Lebanese, Nigerians, and Europeans have tied the knot under the new civil law.&nbsp;

Sharing the experience under the new legislation, Immaculate Twebaze, a&nbsp;Ugandan,&nbsp;told Khaleej Times, “The process was quick, easy and affordable. For real, we had remarkable and beautiful moments which will never fade away from our minds.”&nbsp;

Watch | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/will-operation-miracle-save-the-oceans-rarest-marine-mammal-wion-climate-tracker-558397">Will 'Operation Miracle' save the ocean's rarest marine mammal?&nbsp;</a>

“The hospitality shown right from the main entrance, the blissfulness, smiles from all court staff, make you feel that marriage is a blessing from God and it's a right path to be taken.”

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1  width=&quot;100%&quot;"></iframe>

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

A landmark legislation came into effect in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 1 which will fasten up the process of marriage for non-Muslim expatriates or non-Muslims living in the Middle East country.

A landmark legislation came into effect in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 1 which will fasten up the process of marriage for non-Muslim expatriates or non-Muslims living in the Middle East country. This legislation overhaul in the UAE's judicial system holds extreme significance as the old laws required non-Muslim couples to marry and divorce by following the country's Sharia law. However, under the new Personal Status Law for non-Muslims, family matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance, will, child custody and paternity will be covered without following the Sharia law. Expatriates earlier had to go through the UAE's Sharia law to get married or divorce, even if it differed from the laws in their own home country. Also Read | Democrat Ilhan Omar ousted from House Foreign Affairs Committee for her anti-Semitic comments The reforms were first approved by the late UAE president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 27 November 2021. Out of the seven emirates, only Abu Dhabi adopted the new reforms in November last year but now the law will be extended to all the seven emirates including Dubai, Fujairah, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah. Also Read | EU Parliament waives immunity from prosecution of two lawmakers in bribery scam probe Under the new law, which Abu Dhabi has already implemented, more than 6,000 couples from 127 nations tied the knot. According to Khaleej Times, the majority of those who tied the knot were Filipinos. As many as 2,300 Filipino couples, 830 Indian couples and many Americans, Russians, Lebanese, Nigerians, and Europeans have tied the knot under the new civil law. Sharing the experience under the new legislation, Immaculate Twebaze, a Ugandan, told Khaleej Times, “The process was quick, easy and affordable. For real, we had remarkable and beautiful moments which will never fade away from our minds.” Watch | Will 'Operation Miracle' save the ocean's rarest marine mammal? “The hospitality shown right from the main entrance, the blissfulness, smiles from all court staff, make you feel that marriage is a blessing from God and it's a right path to be taken.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

More non-Muslim expats tie knot in UAE since adoption of new law on civil marriage

Brian Tee has been cast opposite Nicole Kidman in Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming drama series ‘Expats’. It is based on Janice YK Lee’s novel ‘The Expatriates’.

It is by director-showrunner Lulu Wang, Kidman and Per Saari’s Blossom Films and Amazon Studios.

The announcement on Brian Tee’s casting was done by Lulu Wang on social media -- which features Nicole Kidman and Brian Tee. The caption reads: “Meet Margaret &amp; Clarke. College sweethearts! (She brought the flowers. He brings the dad jokes…”&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Meet Margaret &amp; Clarke. College sweethearts! (She brought the flowers. He brings the dad jokes… 🤣💕) <a href="https://t.co/tpomoLoAZW">pic.twitter.com/tpomoLoAZW</a>
— Lulu Wang (@thumbelulu) <a href="https://twitter.com/thumbelulu/status/1435993911084793859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

“Brian is a deeply compassionate actor with undeniable screen presence – an irresistible pairing with Nicole. We are unbelievably fortunate to have him on board.”

Set against the fabric of Hong Kong, ‘Expats’ is the story of an international community whose lives are bound together forever after a sudden family tragedy. It revolves around three women, Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), Margaret (Kidman) and Hilary.

Tee plays Clarke, a devoted husband (to Margaret) and father, Clarke has no desire to exchange his expat lifestyle for American suburbia, until his world is upended and he is faced with an impossible choice.

Brian Tee has been cast opposite Nicole Kidman in Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming drama series ‘Expats’. It is based on Janice YK Lee’s novel ‘The Expatriates’. It is by director-showrunner Lulu Wang, Kidman and Per Saari’s Blossom Films and Amazon Studios.

Brian Tee has been cast opposite Nicole Kidman in Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming drama series ‘Expats’. It is based on Janice YK Lee’s novel ‘The Expatriates’. It is by director-showrunner Lulu Wang, Kidman and Per Saari’s Blossom Films and Amazon Studios. The announcement on Brian Tee’s casting was done by Lulu Wang on social media -- which features Nicole Kidman and Brian Tee. The caption reads: “Meet Margaret & Clarke. College sweethearts! (She brought the flowers. He brings the dad jokes…” Meet Margaret & Clarke. College sweethearts! (She brought the flowers. He brings the dad jokes… 🤣💕) pic.twitter.com/tpomoLoAZW — Lulu Wang (@thumbelulu) September 9, 2021 × “Brian is a deeply compassionate actor with undeniable screen presence – an irresistible pairing with Nicole. We are unbelievably fortunate to have him on board.” Set against the fabric of Hong Kong, ‘Expats’ is the story of an international community whose lives are bound together forever after a sudden family tragedy. It revolves around three women, Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), Margaret (Kidman) and Hilary. Tee plays Clarke, a devoted husband (to Margaret) and father, Clarke has no desire to exchange his expat lifestyle for American suburbia, until his world is upended and he is faced with an impossible choice.

Brian Tee, Nicole Kidman cast in Amazon Prime Video's 'Expats'

Nicole Kidman has sparked a backlash in Hong Kong after the actress skipped the country's strict COVID-19 quarantine to shoot the Amazon series 'Expats' in the city.&nbsp; 
 
Kidman reportedly took a private jet from Sydney to Hong Kong on August 12 and was exempted from the city`s seven-day hotel quarantine for vaccinated people arriving from Australia, despite Sydney going into lockdown following a surge in Delta variant cases. 
 
A local news outlet reported that Hong Kong`s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau is "under mounting public pressure" to explain the preferential treatment Kidmam got. The Bureau has confirmed that the Australian actors and other film crew had been granted an exemption "to carry out designated professional work." 
 
The Oscar-winning actors` presence in Hong Kong after dodging some of the most stringent quarantine rules in the world has caused consternation in the press and on social media. Despite the draconian nature of the quarantine rules, they have generally been viewed, outwardly at least, as equally applied until the Kidman incident.&nbsp; 
 
In recent weeks, Mark Tucker, the chairman of HSBC, one of the world`s largest banks, was required to undergo three-week hotel quarantine after flying in from the UK.&nbsp; 
 
It was also reported that Kidman was seen out and about shopping in Hong Kong, in the last week, and has been a source of discussion in the city`s tabloid press. 
 
On social media, the reaction has been uniformly negative. Here have a look.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Two things United all of Hong Kong 
1) Olympic athletes 
2) Nicole Kidman 
 
For different reasons though
— Sunchartist (@sunchartist) <a href="https://twitter.com/sunchartist/status/1428492670242942982?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HongKong?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HongKong</a> friends and family, While you are locked into a hotel room for three weeks, how does it feel to know that if you are from Hollywood, you are exempt from the barbaric quarantine rules HK residents are subjected to?<a href="https://t.co/ty4OW1A303">https://t.co/ty4OW1A303</a>
— Deborah Kan (@debkhk) <a href="https://twitter.com/debkhk/status/1428192697005658123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Olympic medalists are required to quarantine in HK but Nicole Kidman doesn’t because she is a Hollywood star and needs to film “EXPATS” <a href="https://t.co/1ZixxqUP4Z">https://t.co/1ZixxqUP4Z</a>
— Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) <a href="https://twitter.com/wongmjane/status/1428041807334543366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gov says Nicole Kidman's exemption was granted "taking into account that [the trip] is conducive to maintaining the necessary operation and development of HK's economy" 
Not sure what the rest of the 7 million are doing if not "maintaining" the economy<a href="https://t.co/CaEZE2UMl5">https://t.co/CaEZE2UMl5</a>
— Shibani Mahtani (@ShibaniMahtani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShibaniMahtani/status/1428258985518399493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

In July 2018, Amazon handed out a straight-to-series order for `Expats`, starring and executive produced by Kidman. The series is based on Janice YK. Lee`s book `The Expatriates` about a group of close-knit wealthy women expatriates in Hong Kong. Australian scribe Alice Bell has penned the script for the series which is directed by Lulu Wang and co-stars, Jack Huston. 
 
This is not the first quarantine controversy that Kidman has been embroiled in. In June 2020, there was a media storm after the actor and her husband, Keith Urban, were exempted by the Australian state of New South Wales` hotel quarantine in favour of home quarantine after they flew into Sydney from the US ahead of production of the miniseries `Nine Perfect Strangers.'

Nicole Kidman has sparked a backlash in Hong Kong after the actress skipped the country's strict COVID-19 quarantine to shoot the Amazon series 'Expats' in the city.

Nicole Kidman has sparked a backlash in Hong Kong after the actress skipped the country's strict COVID-19 quarantine to shoot the Amazon series 'Expats' in the city. Kidman reportedly took a private jet from Sydney to Hong Kong on August 12 and was exempted from the city`s seven-day hotel quarantine for vaccinated people arriving from Australia, despite Sydney going into lockdown following a surge in Delta variant cases. A local news outlet reported that Hong Kong`s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau is "under mounting public pressure" to explain the preferential treatment Kidmam got. The Bureau has confirmed that the Australian actors and other film crew had been granted an exemption "to carry out designated professional work." The Oscar-winning actors` presence in Hong Kong after dodging some of the most stringent quarantine rules in the world has caused consternation in the press and on social media. Despite the draconian nature of the quarantine rules, they have generally been viewed, outwardly at least, as equally applied until the Kidman incident. In recent weeks, Mark Tucker, the chairman of HSBC, one of the world`s largest banks, was required to undergo three-week hotel quarantine after flying in from the UK. It was also reported that Kidman was seen out and about shopping in Hong Kong, in the last week, and has been a source of discussion in the city`s tabloid press. On social media, the reaction has been uniformly negative. Here have a look. Two things United all of Hong Kong 1) Olympic athletes 2) Nicole Kidman For different reasons though — Sunchartist (@sunchartist) August 19, 2021 × Dear #HongKong friends and family, While you are locked into a hotel room for three weeks, how does it feel to know that if you are from Hollywood, you are exempt from the barbaric quarantine rules HK residents are subjected to?https://t.co/ty4OW1A303 — Deborah Kan (@debkhk) August 19, 2021 × Olympic medalists are required to quarantine in HK but Nicole Kidman doesn’t because she is a Hollywood star and needs to film “EXPATS” https://t.co/1ZixxqUP4Z — Jane Manchun Wong (@wongmjane) August 18, 2021 × Gov says Nicole Kidman's exemption was granted "taking into account that [the trip] is conducive to maintaining the necessary operation and development of HK's economy" Not sure what the rest of the 7 million are doing if not "maintaining" the economyhttps://t.co/CaEZE2UMl5 — Shibani Mahtani (@ShibaniMahtani) August 19, 2021 × In July 2018, Amazon handed out a straight-to-series order for `Expats`, starring and executive produced by Kidman. The series is based on Janice YK. Lee`s book `The Expatriates` about a group of close-knit wealthy women expatriates in Hong Kong. Australian scribe Alice Bell has penned the script for the series which is directed by Lulu Wang and co-stars, Jack Huston. This is not the first quarantine controversy that Kidman has been embroiled in. In June 2020, there was a media storm after the actor and her husband, Keith Urban, were exempted by the Australian state of New South Wales` hotel quarantine in favour of home quarantine after they flew into Sydney from the US ahead of production of the miniseries `Nine Perfect Strangers.'

Nicole Kidman called out for skipping Hong Kong quarantine for 'Expats' shoot

Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming drama ‘Expats’ has found its male lead in actor Jack Huston. It’s based on Janice YK Lee’s novel ‘The Expatriates’. It will be made by director-showrunner Lulu Wang, Nicole Kidman and Per Saari’s Blossom Films and Amazon Studios.

Set against the fabric of Hong Kong, ‘Expats’ is the story of an international community whose lives are bound together forever after a sudden family tragedy. It revolves around three women, Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), Margaret and Hilary.

Jack Huston will play David Starr, who has long lived in the shadow of his impressive wife Hilary. When the expat community is struck by a catastrophic event, his old demons resurface, forcing him to confront who he’s become.

The series is executive produced by Wang, Kidman and Saari for Blossom Films, Theresa Park for her Per Capita Productions, Dani Melia, and Stan Wlodkowski, with Lee serving as consulting producer and writer. Alice Bell also serves as a writer and executive producer. Wang serves as showrunner and is directing all episodes.

Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming drama ‘Expats’ has found its male lead in actor Jack Huston. It’s based on Janice YK Lee’s novel ‘The Expatriates’. It will be made by director-showrunner Lulu Wang, Nicole Kidman and Per Saari’s Blossom Films and Amazon Studios.

Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming drama ‘Expats’ has found its male lead in actor Jack Huston. It’s based on Janice YK Lee’s novel ‘The Expatriates’. It will be made by director-showrunner Lulu Wang, Nicole Kidman and Per Saari’s Blossom Films and Amazon Studios. Set against the fabric of Hong Kong, ‘Expats’ is the story of an international community whose lives are bound together forever after a sudden family tragedy. It revolves around three women, Mercy (Ji-young Yoo), Margaret and Hilary. Jack Huston will play David Starr, who has long lived in the shadow of his impressive wife Hilary. When the expat community is struck by a catastrophic event, his old demons resurface, forcing him to confront who he’s become. The series is executive produced by Wang, Kidman and Saari for Blossom Films, Theresa Park for her Per Capita Productions, Dani Melia, and Stan Wlodkowski, with Lee serving as consulting producer and writer. Alice Bell also serves as a writer and executive producer. Wang serves as showrunner and is directing all episodes.

Jack Huston joins ‘Expats’ Amazon drama series

Indians from the millions-strong expat community in the UAE, stranded in their homeland during a catastrophic coronavirus surge, are swamping private jet operators with requests to whisk them back to safety.

Indian expats hire private jets to escape COVID-19 crisis

Post-Brexit life has become difficult for people of Britain residing in Spain. The problems increase after people especially expats are concerned about their duration of stay and livelihood in order to stay longer. WION tells you more.

Spain: Expats selling properties to survive post-Brexit life

World's most expensive cities for expats in 2020 revealed -- Mercer’s annual survey

The declining number of foreigners working in Indonesia due to the slump in commodity prices is causing a parallel job shortage for locals

Foreign workers are increasingly leaving Indonesia due to the slump in commodity prices that has forced resource companies to slash jobs at a time when the government has also introduced tighter regulations on expatriates in Southeast Asia's biggest economy. The number of temporary residential permits issued to foreigners, including renewals, has fallen for the past few years to 171,944 in 2015 from 194,162 in 2013. In the first five months of this year, there were 72,399 issued but many of those who provide services to expats say they expect a further drop over the whole of 2016 as they are seeing very few new arrivals. As a result, rents on upmarket homes in Jakarta have plummeted and enrolment at international schools has fallen. "The expat drought has been really noticeable in 2016," said Deborah Minicola, a Jakarta-based technical advisor at international relocation company Allied Pickfords. "This time the expat community has been hit from so many angles." The outflow is likely to dent higher-end consumption and drive up unemployment, economists say, as big-spending expats tend to hire multiple workers ranging from housemaids and drivers to gardeners and bodyguards. Some workers who recently lost their jobs are finding it difficult to get new employment. Christiana Ambar Putriani is one example. She has been looking for a job as a part-time housekeeper in Jakarta after her former bosses left for South America a few weeks ago. She hopes to work for an expat family again, as foreigners tend to pay higher wages, but it is getting tougher to find such jobs, she says. The Australian Independent School in Balikpapan, a city in Indonesia's resource-dependent province of East Kalimantan, expects a 36 per cent reduction in its student body this year, said human resources officer Ni Ketut Novia. Three international schools in the city have shut over the past two to three years due to the mass layoffs at mining contractors and a drastic cut in expat allowances, she said. The expat exodus will also create skill shortages that could hold the country back when the commodity downturn is reversed. Low resource prices and a slowdown in demand from China, one of Indonesia's top export markets, have reduced the incentive for exploration or production in the oil and gas and mining sectors, forcing companies to hack back on staff costs. The mining, oil and gas and geothermal sectors accounted for 7.62 per cent of Indonesia's gross domestic product in 2015, down from 11.81 per cent in 2011. Drilling contractors and exploration site surveyors are among the worst-hit, industry experts say. Oil and gas companies operating in the country include Chevron Corp, Total SA and Exxon Mobil Corp . Total's Indonesia spokesman said the company has "manpower planning which is in line with our evolution of activities". Chevron, which is selling assets in Asia including some in Indonesia, declined to comment. Exxon also did not comment. POLICY CONFUSION A PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of 53 firms in the oil and gas sector, released in May, found that almost three-quarters of respondents expected a smaller expat workforce in future, partly because of tighter controls on hiring foreigners. Indonesia opened up dozens of business sectors recently to foreign investors in a move described by President Joko Widodo as a "Big Bang" liberalisation of the economy. Yet business groups say there are mixed signals from the government, which imposes restrictions apparently under pressure from protectionist voices around the president. The manpower ministry is encouraging companies to hire more Indonesian workers, and is tightening its scrutiny of the work permit applications from foreigners, said Ratna Agustina, a director at a firm that provides services to expats. The government also sets an age ceiling of 55 years for foreigners employed by oil and gas contractors, downstream businesses and supporting service providers - with certain exemptions for top executives or those with skills deemed crucial. "If they are above 55, the assumption is that many have ailments and are less productive," said Taslim Yunus, a spokesman for the energy regulator. Adding to the regulatory uncertainty, the government last year introduced requirements for foreigners to be proficient in Indonesian and for companies to hire 10 locals for every expat, only to backtrack less than 12 months later after businesses raised strong protests. The manpower ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The expat exodus hasn't hit the rest of the region as hard. In neighbouring Singapore, the number of foreign professionals, managers and executives earning at least S$3,300 ($2,500) a month actually rose 5 per cent to 187,900 as of December 2015 from a year earlier, the latest official data show. Banks are hiring more compliance professionals in the city-state, but many condominium units have been left empty and office vacancy rates are near their highest level in almost a decade, partly due to the departure of expats from the energy and commodities sector, property agents say. EMPTY HOUSES The gloom is evident on the streets of Kemang, a ritzy neighbourhood in south Jakarta where opulent homes are now festooned with "for-rent" signs. The rental price of one house there, with a garden and swimming pool, has fallen by a third to $3,000 per month, says property broker Julizar. "I've been trying to market this house for six months but there has been no taker." A British national who provides training for energy executives in Indonesia has been hit by a 60 per cent decline in revenue over the past 18 months. This slump, he says, is the most pronounced throughout his 20 years in the industry. He declined to be named, citing company policy. The long-term impact of the restrictions in hiring foreign workers will be "an exacerbation of an existing acute skills shortage", said Lin Neumann, managing director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia. Widodo has taken steps to move the economy away from its dependence on commodity exports and build a manufacturing base, but Neumann said that isn't enough to offset the shrinkage in mining and oil and gas. (Reuters)

Empty houses and jobless housekeepers: Indonesia's expat exodus harms the economy

expats

Expats, News on Expats, stories on Expats, articles on Expats, Expats stories at Wion, Expats news, Expats latest news