Qatar offers Ugandans 40,000 jobs
Khaled Husainat, Uganda's new consulate to Jordan assisting Gender, Labor and Social Development Minister, Janat Mukwaya (sitting) to sign a skilled labor exportation memorandum of understanding between Uganda and the Middle East at the ministry headquarters in Kampala recently. Looking on are L-R Herbert Kabafunzaki, state minister for labor, employment and industrial relations, Rami Asrawi general secretary Recruiting Agents Association of Jordan, Pius Bigirimana, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Gender,Dr. Rashid Yahya Ssemuddu, Uganda’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar Bahrain, Oman Jordan Yemen and Lillian Mugerwa the President Labor Exporting Agencies Association of Uganda. PHOTO BY STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
This is the third country within the Middle East to sign similar pacts with Uganda after Saudi Arabia in 2015 and Jordan two weeks ago
The government of the State of Qatar has offered 40,000 jobs to Ugandans beginning 2017, to participate in the 2022 World Cup preparations as well as raise the Ugandan population working there.
According to a press release issued by Uganda’s embassy in Saudi Arabia, the Qatar government announced the offer on Friday after a meeting between its minister of administrative development, labor and social affairs Dr. Eisa Saad Aljafali Al-Naimi and Hajjat Janat Balunzi Mukwaya, the minister of gender, labor and social development, at Qatar’s capital Doha.
“The ministers held preliminary discussions about the Uganda-Qatar bilateral labor framework and exchanged drafts of the proposed agreement for review before the signing ceremony expected in early 2017,” the release reads in part.
It adds that this is the third country within the Middle East to sign similar pacts with Uganda after Saudi Arabia in 2015 and Jordan two weeks ago. President Museveni is expected to visit Qatar early next year where he will be hosted by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.
According to the press statement, Qatar is home to two million people with only 280,000 citizens, the rest being foreigners. With per capita income of $102,000, it is the richest country in the world with the world’s largest natural gas reserves. The Qatar monarchy is globally known for its global news group, Al Jazeera and for winning the bid to host the 2022 Football World Cup.
The statement quotes labor minister expressing happiness to have signed the deal without bilateral agreements from the two countries.
“We are indeed grateful to the government of the state of Qatar for offering Ugandans jobs in decent areas, moreover in the absence of a bilateral agreement between our two countries,” it states.
It also quotes Uganda’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Dr. Rashid Yahya Ssemuddu explaining that the agreements will pave way for Qatar trade and investment inflows to Uganda, in line with the pledge made by the Amir of Qatar to him during the ceremony of presentation of his credentials in 2014.
