Ghana targets 50,000 workers in Qatar by 2030 – Ablakwa hints

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced Ghana’s intention to increase its workforce in Qatar to 50,000 in the medium term, up from the current 13,000 Ghanaian workers.

He made this projection while commenting on the newly ratified Labour Mobility Agreement endorsed by the parliaments of both Qatar and Ghana. Following high-level discussions with Qatar’s Minister of Labour, Dr.AlibinSaeed bin Samikh Al Marri on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2025, Ablakwa revealed that full implementation of the agreement will soon begin after it secured final ratification in both parliaments.

Citing data from Qatar’s Labour Ministry, which shows that 13,000 Ghanaians are currently part of the Qatari workforce, he disclosed Ghana’s ambition to double that number by next year and reach 50,000 within the medium term.

A Ghana–Qatar Joint Technical Committee, established under the labour agreement, is expected to convene in February 2026 to oversee and guide the full implementation process toward achieving the agreement’s labour objectives for the mutual benefit of both nations.

Ablakwa emphasized that recruitment under the agreement will be credible, transparent, and free of nepotism, ensuring that opportunities are accessible to all qualified Ghanaians. He also assured that the rights of Ghanaian workers will be strongly protected, noting that the agreement guarantees better working conditions, a significant safeguard given the persistent global concerns about labour rights violations in Qatar.

I was hosted by His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri, Minister for Labour of Qatar in the margins of the Doha Forum yesterday.

I am grateful to my good friend for his excellent hospitality and exceptional brotherhood.

We discussed the newly ratified… pic.twitter.com/Mn5YaF7IVe

— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) December 8, 2025

Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have previously highlighted issues such as wage theft, poor working conditions, and limited avenues for redress among migrant and domestic workers, especially in the period surrounding the 2022 World Cup. Qatar has also received 317 human rights recommendations under the UN Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

The Minister extended warm wishes to upcoming Ghanaian beneficiaries who will join various sectors of the Qatari economy through this agreement, reaffirming the Mahama administration’s commitment to creating job opportunities for young people both locally and abroad.

Meanwhile, President John Dramani Mahama also arrived in Qatar for the Doha Forum 2025. A key highlight of his visit is a high-level meeting with H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, focused on deepening the longstanding Ghana–Qatar relationship established in 1982. Over the decades, this partnership has grown to include more than 11 agreements across diverse sectors, yielding tangible contributions to national development.

The Ghana–Qatar diplomatic relationship has seen notable milestones, such as the opening of the Qatari Embassy in Ghana in 2018, the appointment of a Qatari Ambassador that same year, and several landmark agreements signed during the Emir’s visit to Accra in 2017. These include cooperation agreements between the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the formation of a joint trade and investment committee, an accord on the avoidance of double taxation and fiscal evasion, and memoranda of understanding in sectors such as sports and civil aviation.

Source: Diplomatic Times