Gulf and African states meet in Dar to rewrite rules of labour migration

• Tanzania becomes first African country to host Doha Dialogue on labour mobility.
• Second Doha Dialogue to open new employment opportunites for Tanzania  Africa.
• Over 4000 new jobs for Tanzania’s across GCC – Government.

Tanzania will host the Second Doha Dialogue on Labour Mobility and Employment, early October. Slated to take place on October 5–6, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dar es Salaam, the dialogue will bring together member states of the African Union (AU) and countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

GCC expected to attend include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain, as well as Jordan and Lebanon. “The meeting will focus on strengthening international cooperation on labour mobility and promoting decent employment opportunities,” details a government media statement.

Tanzania’s President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to be the Guest of Honour in what will be the very first dialogue of its kind to be held on the continent.

Among the key issues due to be discussed include strengthening of bilateral labour agreements, skills matching and recognition for migrant workers, as well as the development of effective labour mobility systems that respond to emerging labour-market needs and technological changes.

“Tanzania is also expected to use the dialogue to strengthen its role in international discussions on labour mobility, including expanding employment opportunities for Tanzanians abroad, protecting the rights of migrant workers and enhancing cooperation between African and Gulf countries,” details the press statement.

Doha dialogue to focus on competitiveness

The government of Tanzania is keen to note that this cooperation is intended to improve Tanzania’s workforce competitiveness and spearhead implementation of the country’s National Development Vision 2050.

The dialogue will also serve as a platform to translate policy commitments and agreements into practical and measurable outcomes, details the statement.

It further points out that the dialogue will also promote labour mobility that is safe, orderly, productive, rights-based and sustainable.

According to the press release, other areas of discussion will include fair recruitment systems, skills recognition, social protection for migrant workers and long-term cooperation between labour-sending and labour-receiving countries.

The press release says, this Second Doha Dialogue that is slated for the commercial port city of Dar es Salaam is expected to provide an important platform for discussing how labour market demands can be matched with workforce skills, while strengthening the protection of the rights and welfare of Tanzanians seeking employment opportunities abroad.

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Global labour migration at all time peek

Notably, the first Doha Dialogue was held in Doha, Qatar, on May 21–22, 2024, and brought together 33 countries, including 25 African countries, Gulf states, Jordan and Lebanon.

At that inaugural dialogue, Tanzania participated through a delegation led by its minister of labour.

The inaugural meeting adopted the Doha Declaration, which provided a framework for continued dialogue and cooperation between African and Arab countries on labour mobility and so it comes as no surprise that Africa is hosting the second meeting.

“Tanzania’s selection as host of the second dialogue represents a continuation of these discussions, which are to be held once every two year,” details the statement.

The government reassures stakeholders that “…Tanzania has continued to take measures aimed at strengthening safe, productive and mutually beneficial labour mobility for migrant workers.”

The statement notes that among these measures includes the signing of labour agreements with Gulf countries to expand employment opportunities and strengthen implementation mechanisms between them.

Notably, Tanzanian workers have increasingly been getting employment opportunities in various sectors across the GCC, including agriculture, livestock, healthcare, engineering, technical trades, driving, hospitality and domestic services.

According to the press communique, the government is also promoting skills-based labour mobility through practical training programmes for graduates, workplace training, skills recognition and pre-departure preparation.

In line with the Doha Dialogue objectives, Tanzania and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) are strengthening cooperation on safe and regular migration, labour mobility, migrant protection and climate-related mobility, the IOM said in a recent report.

The report noted that countries across East and Southern Africa are working together to respond to growing migration pressures and opportunities.

With that fact in mind, the Doha Dialogue goes a long way in helping countries the EAC to evolve their employment issues. “Migration remains a defining feature of the region, which hosts more than 12.7 million international migrants, over 16 million internally displaced people and approximately 5.4 million refugees,” the IOM reports.

“Tanzania is at the heart of some of the most important migration conversations taking place in Africa today,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope.

She further noted that; “From labour mobility and skills development to refugee protection and climate-related displacement, regional cooperation can help turn migration into an opportunity for people, communities and economies.”

The report points out that Tanzania serves as a country of origin, transit, destination and refuge, and so it is a key hub for migration dialogue and coordination across East and Southern Africa.

Notably, Tanzania currently chairs the Regional Ministerial Forum on Migration and hosts IOM’s African Capacity Building Centre (ACBC), which supports migration governance and professional training across the continent.