The International Labour Organization (ILO) has welcomed new momentum towards practical cooperation on labour mobility between Africa and the Arab region, as governments and partners gathered in Dar es Salaam for the second Doha Dialogue on labour mobility.
Hosted and chaired by Tanzania, the two-day meeting brought together Member States of the African Union and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - alongside Jordan and Lebanon.
The Dialogue was held under the theme "From Commitment to Action: Advancing Fair and Sustainable Labour Mobility between Africa and GCC+," and focused on translating shared priorities into practical cooperation that benefits workers, employers and economies across both regions.
Perspectives from employers, workers and regional and international partners also informed the discussions.
The State of Qatar, represented by its Ministry of Labour, the African Union Commission and the GCC Executive Bureau have played key roles in advancing the interregional process.
The ILO participated in the Doha Dialogue through a high-level delegation led by Regional Director for Arab States Ruba Jaradat, bringing technical expertise to the Dialogue and supporting tripartite preparations among governments, employers and workers.
From shared commitments to practical cooperation
The second Doha Dialogue built on the inaugural meeting held in Doha, Qatar in 2024 and the resulting Doha Declaration on Labour Mobility between GCC Countries, Jordan and Lebanon and African Member States.
The Declaration established a shared framework for cooperation between countries of origin and destination, with priorities including skills mobility and recognition, fair recruitment, wage and social protection, access to justice and labour-market information. The 2026 Dialogue carried this agenda forward with a strong focus on implementation and practical partnerships.
With labour migration creating significant opportunities for workers, employers and economies across both regions, the meeting in Dar es Salaam focused on how to translate these opportunities into practical action. Discussions explored how to connect workers with the jobs where their skills are needed, ensure qualifications are recognized across borders, support fair recruitment and decent working conditions, and help workers maintain social protection when they move or return home. Bilateral labour migration agreements and better labour-market data were also discussed as tools to make mobility more predictable for governments, employers and workers.
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of the President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of Zanzibar Hussein Ali Mwinyi highlighted the complementary strengths of the two regions.
"Africa and the GCC plus countries […] have a strong basis for partnership. Africa has a large and growing working-age population, a young generation and significant human-capital potential. At the same time, GCC plus economies continue to diversify and transform, generating demand for workers and skills across different sectors. This complementarity presents an opportunity that we must manage strategically and responsibly," President Hassan said.
Reflecting on the progress made since the first Doha Dialogue in 2024, Qatari Minister of Labour Ali bin Samikh Al Marri reaffirmed Qatar's commitment to sustaining the interregional process.
"The State of Qatar affirms its readiness to continue consultation and cooperation with all participating countries and international partners, and to build on what has been achieved in Dar es Salaam in a way that maintains the momentum of the Dialogue and enhances its practical outcomes, while respecting the particularities of the national policies and legislation of participating countries," Minister Al Marri said.
ILO Regional Director Jaradat said the Dialogue offered an important opportunity to turn cooperation into tangible results for people and labour markets.
"The Doha Dialogue gives us a powerful opportunity to build on the progress already made and turn shared commitments into results that people can feel in their daily lives. When labour mobility works well, workers gain access to decent jobs and new skills, employers can find the talent they need and countries of origin and destination both benefit from stronger, more dynamic labour markets. Our shared task now is to deepen cooperation across the Africa-Arab States corridor so that mobility creates lasting opportunities for workers, families, businesses and economies in both regions," Regional Director Jaradat said.
The ILO contributed technical expertise across the Dialogue's agenda, drawing on its work with governments and employers' and workers' organizations in Africa and the Arab States. ILO inputs supported discussions on the Africa-Arab States labour migration corridor, skills mobility, fair recruitment, wage protection, access to justice, social protection and the portability of benefits.
Supporting cooperation across the corridor
ILO participation in the Doha Dialogue also builds on established regional and interregional programmes that advance sustainable labour mobility and expand the benefits of migration for workers, employers and societies across the Africa-Arab States corridor.
The FAIRWAY programme, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), is the ILO's flagship interregional programme on labour migration between Africa and the Arab States, supports cooperation on fair recruitment, access to justice, bilateral labour migration agreements, labour migration statistics, skills mobility, wage protection and social dialogue.
The ILO also contributes through the Joint Labour Migration Programme (JLMP), the African Union's flagship labour migration programme. Funded by SDC and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), it is jointly implemented by the African Union Commission, ILO, IOM and GIZ. The programme supports labour migration governance, social protection, skills development and institutional capacity across Africa.
