An official announcement was made about the launch of the dialogue between GCC countries, Jordan, Lebanon, and African nations.
Qatar’s strategy focuses on attracting skilled migrant labour, the country’s Minister of Labour Dr Ali bin Samikh Al Marri said during the ministerial meeting of the Doha Dialogue on labour mobility between the Gulf and African countries on Wednesday.
The event saw the participation of ministers of labour from 33 countries, representatives from the African Commission, the Executive Council of Labour Ministers of the GCC, and international organisations.
Al Marri went on to discuss Qatar’s third national development strategy, which focuses on attracting skilled migrant labour to support Qatar’s developmental goals.
This strategy aims to create a modern and competitive labour market that aligns with technological advancements and fosters a productive, diverse, and innovation-driven economy.
Al Marri said that the Doha Dialogue initiative aligns with Qatar’s commitment to international and regional interests in migrant labour.
This initiative is based on national principles that respect human rights, support the rule of law, and promote regional and international openness to achieve global sustainable development goals.
Emphasising Qatar’s dedication to promoting international cooperation and global partnerships, Al Marri reiterated the importance of joint coordination to tackle future challenges facing both origin and destination countries.
This, he noted, would lead to mutual benefits and enhance social and economic gains from migrant labour.
In his opening speech during the initiative in which he was chairing, Al Marri drew attention to the increasing number of African migrant workers in the Gulf region.
He pointed out that this rise, especially compared to Asian labour, emphasises the need to incorporate African labour mobility into cooperation mechanisms and establish various-layered partnerships for better consultation.
He also discussed Qatar’s efforts to modernise its legislative system in accordance with international standards and Qatar’s national vision.
This includes the issuance of a new ministerial decree on worker protection from heat stress, the adoption of a labour inspection policy, and a safety and health at work policy. Al Marri affirmed Qatar’s commitment to ensuring a safe and healthy work environment and caring for African migrant workers according to legal and international standards.
An official announcement was made about the launch of the dialogue between GCC countries, Jordan, Lebanon, and African nations. This platform is expected to be a voluntary, non-binding forum that will continuously enhance coordination between sending and receiving countries of African migrant labour, improving the contractual work cycle while respecting national priorities and achieving mutual interests.
Ambassador Minata Samate, representing the African Union Commission for Health, Humanitarian Affairs, and Social Development, welcomed the launch of the Doha Dialogue.
She stressed the timely nature of this initiative, given the many challenges in managing labour mobility.
