Dar es Salaam:Senior officials and experts from over 33 GCC, African, and Arab countries gathered in Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, for the Second Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility between Africa and the GCC+. The two-day event, co-chaired by Tanzania, Qatar, and the African Union, focused on converting shared commitments into practical cooperation throughout the labour-mobility cycle.
According to Qatar News Agency, the meeting included delegations from national governments, the African Union Commission, and prominent international organizations. Participants comprised the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs, the International Labour Organization, the Arab Labour Organization, and the International Organization for Migration, among others.
HE Sheikha Najwa bint Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Labour of Qatar, opened the dialogue by expressing gratitude to Tanzania for hosting and to partner organizations for their support. She emphasized that the dialogue is a partnership between countries of origin and destination, aiming for an equitable and productive future for labour mobility. She highlighted the Doha Declaration on Labour Mobility as a stepping stone for cooperation and stressed the importance of practical, measurable results.
The Undersecretary identified three main priorities: skills and labour-market pathways; fair recruitment, decent work, and access to justice; and social protection. She outlined Qatar's steps to address these through workforce planning, regulation of recruitment agencies, and the Wage Protection System, among others, suggesting these as adaptable experiences for other countries.
Zuhura Yunus, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Tanzania's Prime Minister's Office, highlighted the need for a coordinated whole-of-government response to labour mobility challenges. She called for improved collaboration in areas such as wage protection and occupational safety and recommended a comprehensive monitoring framework to track progress.
HE Mohammed Hassan Al Obaidli, Director-General of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs, praised Qatar's leadership in establishing the Dialogue. He emphasized the importance of safe, orderly mobility and converting political commitments into measurable programs. He noted GCC states' advancements in education, vocational training, and decent work frameworks.
The discussions at the dialogue focused on workers' skills, decent work, and social protection, with an emphasis on sector-specific demand intelligence and skills partnerships. The review included Qatar's national policy framework, which promotes skills-based recruitment and a non-discriminatory minimum wage.
The Doha Dialogue, established through a Qatar-African Union agreement, is a consultative platform that enables African and GCC countries to exchange expertise and strengthen regional cooperation in labour mobility.