Africa–Arab Labour Talks Put Fair Recruitment, Skills and Worker Rights Centre Stage

The 2026 gathering followed the inaugural dialogue in Doha, Qatar, in 2024 and the resulting Doha Declaration on Labour Mobility between GCC Countries, Jordan and Lebanon and African Member States.

Fair pay, recognised qualifications and protection after moving overseas are central to a new push for cooperation on labour mobility between Africa and the Arab region. The International Labour Organization (ILO) welcomed the momentum at the second Doha Dialogue in Dar es Salaam, where governments and partners discussed practical steps that could benefit workers, employers and economies. Hosted and chaired by Tanzania, the two-day meeting brought together African Union member states, the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries-Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and Jordan and Lebanon.

Turning shared commitments into practical protections

The 2026 gathering followed the inaugural dialogue in Doha, Qatar, in 2024 and the resulting Doha Declaration on Labour Mobility between GCC Countries, Jordan and Lebanon and African Member States. Its theme, "From Commitment to Action: Advancing Fair and Sustainable Labour Mobility between Africa and GCC+," put implementation at the heart of discussions. Qatar's Ministry of Labour, the African Union Commission and the GCC Executive Bureau have played key roles in advancing the process, with contributions from employers, workers and regional and international partners helping shape the agenda.

For workers, the priorities covered issues that can determine whether an overseas job becomes a genuine opportunity: fair recruitment, decent working conditions, wage protection and access to justice. Participants explored matching people with jobs that need their skills, recognising qualifications across borders and maintaining social protection when workers move or return home. Bilateral labour migration agreements and stronger labour-market information were discussed as ways to make recruitment and mobility more predictable for governments, employers and workers.

Connecting Africa's workforce with changing labour markets

A keynote address from Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan, delivered by Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, highlighted the potential in bringing the regions' strengths together. Africa's growing working-age population and young talent could meet demand from GCC+ economies undergoing diversification and transformation, provided that cooperation is managed responsibly. Qatari Labour Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri reaffirmed his country's readiness to continue consultations and partnerships, build on the Dar es Salaam discussions and respect participating countries' national policies and legislation.

ILO Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat, who led the organisation's high-level delegation, stressed that cooperation needs to produce results people can feel in daily life. She described benefits ranging from decent jobs and new skills for workers to better access to talent for employers and stronger labour markets in origin and destination countries. The ILO supported preparations involving governments, employers and workers, contributing technical expertise on migration, skills, recruitment, wages, justice, social protection and the ability to carry benefits across borders.

Building on programmes already supporting cooperation

The talks draw on programmes supporting labour mobility across the Africa–Arab States corridor, including FAIRWAY, the ILO's flagship interregional labour migration programme funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Its work covers fair recruitment, access to justice, bilateral agreements, migration statistics, skills mobility and wage protection. Support for social dialogue helps governments, employers and workers discuss the concerns that shape migration and employment, keeping their perspectives connected to the development of practical policies and partnerships.

The ILO contributes to the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), the African Union's flagship programme in this field, funded by SDC and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida). The African Union Commission, ILO, IOM and GIZ jointly run the programme, which supports labour migration governance, social protection, skills development and institutional capacity across Africa. These programmes provide a foundation for the practical cooperation discussed in Dar es Salaam, where the focus was on making shared priorities work for people and labour markets.