Qataris have witnessed a staggering 150% surge in private sector appointments during the third quarter of 2023 compared to the preceding quarter.
Qatar’s Ministry of Labour has launched a digital service which is set to streamline and simplify the hiring process and make it easier to employ local residents.
The unveiling took place at a seminar organised by the Qatari ministry in collaboration with the Qatar Development Bank and was specifically aimed at introducing entrepreneurs to the ministry’s services.
“The participating entrepreneurs will get detailed information about the MoL services with special focus on two services ‘Request to Amend Occupations on Work-Permits’ and ‘Attestation of Work Contracts’,” said Salem Darwish Al Muhannadi, Head of the Work Permits Section in the Employment Department at the Ministry of Labour.
The platform, ‘Request to Join the Labour Market,’ marks a significant moment for entrepreneurs in Qatar, as the ministry has introduced approximately 25 fully digital services tailored to their specific needs.
These digital offerings are part of a broader strategy aimed at raising awareness among business owners and entrepreneurs about the range of services offered by the labour ministry.
“This process allows for residents who reside in Qatar under residencies that are not work-related, to join the labour market, and change the type of residency to “for the purpose of work” if they wish to do so,” the website states.
“The process could either start with the new employer applying to add the resident as a worker, or it can start with the worker applying to join the Labour market by entering the new employer details,” it adds.
Qatar has engaged in various efforts to boost employment for nationals across all sectors.
During the third quarter of 2023, Qataris witnessed a staggering 150% surge in private sector appointments compared to the preceding quarter.
Some 2,006 Qatari men and women secured positions across the public and private sectors in the Q3 of this year.
As part of its ongoing commitment to further the country’s employment sectors, the Ministry of Labour said it has continued to evolve the National Employment Platform, “Kawader,” by integrating artificial intelligence.
In September, Qatar’s minister of labour revealed that the Gulf nation has embarked on a new strategy to support localisation of jobs in the private sector.
Minister Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri detailed that the move will be carried out by analysing the needs of the labour market, as well as focusing on required skills and specialisations.
One of the key priorities highlighted by Al Marri was the localisation of jobs within private sector enterprises, with a special emphasis on enhancing the benefit of highly qualified national professionals across GCC nations.
Enhancing the labour market
Meanwhile, the Gulf state has also pushed for more transparency amid ongoing criticism over migrant worker rights.
In a bid to better the labour market and environment, Qatar added a feature on the Ministry of Labour’s website that allows the public to view monthly labour statistics.
The introduction of the new platform provides a higher level of transparency and easier access to statistics on a monthly basis, and authorities say it fits into the ministry’s strategy to keep the public informed.
By simply clicking on the ‘monthly statistics’ button on the website’s home page, the user is directed to a visual breakdown of numbers from four departments: the Recruitment Department, the Labour Relation Department, and the Labour Inspection Department.
As for labour relations, users can view the number of complaints workers and domestic workers made against their employer to the ministry. The website shows that July alone recorded a total of 1,060 complaints, 233 of which were resolved and the rest were sent to the committee for review.
