Doha, Qatar: Under the patronage of the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, the Minister of Labour, HE Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, launched the National Strategy for an Effective and Highly Productive Workforce 2024 – 2030, in the presence of several esteemed ministers and senior officials from the labour sector and partner.

His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Minister of Labour, affirmed that this strategy serves as a foundational pillar for achieving Qatar’s ambitious goals, aligning with Qatar National Vision 2030 and the Third National Development Strategy.

It aims to increase citizen participation in the labour market by empowering and qualifying Qatari nationals, particularly in the private sector, while attracting skilled labour and safeguarding their rights.

This will contribute to productivity increases and foster innovation across diverse sectors.

In his address, His Excellency noted the national workforce’s critical role in Qatar’s development plans, emphasizing its significance in driving progress and enhancing the national economy.

He highlighted the importance of boosting the private sector’s contribution and promoting economic diversification through support for non-oil sectors.

He outlined the strategy's structure, which comprises three key phases:

1. Phase One: Strengthening Foundations (2024-2025) – This phase focuses on launching major initiatives to build and enhance skills through improvements in the education system and programs aimed at bridging the skills gap in collaboration with employers.

2. Phase Two: Building Capacities (2026-2027) – This phase will entail a comprehensive review of government employment policies and efforts to stimulate job growth in the private sector.

3. Phase Three: Achieving Transformation (2028-2030) – This phase will intensify skill-building efforts while increasing incentives to encourage the hiring of Qatari nationals in the private sector.

The Minister elaborated on the strategy’s aspirations to achieve eight key outcomes, including a labour productivity increase of over 2% annually and an increase in Qatari participation in the workforce from 54% to 58%. Additionally, it aims to maintain sustainable levels of government employment and keep unemployment rates low.

His Excellency Dr. Al Marri highlighted the objective of increasing the proportion of Qatari nationals in the private and mixed sectors from 17% to 20%, with a goal of integrating 16,000 Qatari nationals into the private sector.

He noted that 6,000 Qatari nationals have been employed in the private sector over the past three years.

Addressing the expatriate workforce, he outlined the strategy’s goal to attract high-skilled expatriate labour, increasing their share from 20% to 24% of the total expatriate workforce.

The strategy also seeks to enhance decent work opportunities in the private sector and improve worker welfare.

The successful implementation of the strategy and the achievement of its targets by 2030 will require launching 16 initiatives and 55 projects, tailored to specific target groups and executing entities, including national workers, expatriate labour, and the operational environments in both the public and private sectors.

His Excellency Dr. Al Marri indicated that the priorities for 2024 – 2025 will focus on essential projects, such as aligning educational outputs with the skills required in the labour market.

The Workforce Planning Committee is actively ensuring that educational outcomes meet market demands through clear methodologies based on data regarding gaps in specialisations and skills.

He commended the government's support for wages aimed at incentivising Qatari citizens to work in the private sector.

This initiative commenced with the issuance of the Law on Job Localization in the private sector on a trial basis, with full implementation scheduled for April 2025.

Additionally, Excellency Dr. Al Marri addressed the priority of reforming employment-based visa systems, establishing skill-based criteria, and updating recruitment policies to facilitate talent acquisition and retention.

He underscored the implementation of the "Mustaqel" project to introduce new visa categories for entrepreneurs and skilled professionals, along with flexible employment contracts to attract mid- to high-skilled workers to the private sector.

He stressed the necessity of simplifying visa, recruitment, and employment processes, particularly in priority sectors, noting improvements in comprehensive digital services to streamline approvals and enhance the recruitment of high-skilled labour through the upgrade of 67 electronic services.

In conclusion, the Minister of Labour reaffirmed the importance of achieving the objectives outlined in the National Strategy for an Effective and Highly Productive Workforce 2024 – 2030.

He emphasized the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure effective implementation, which will positively impact the achievement of the strategy's goals.

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