Qatar to hire 30,000 Pakistani workers

The Gulf state of Qatar would hire 30,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers from Pakistan this year. In this regard, an additional protocol has been signed pertaining to the existing labour agreement, which was inked between the two countries in 1987 to regulate export of manpower to Qatar.
The agreement was signed by Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower Khursheed Ahmed Shah and the visiting Qatar Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, Dr Sultan Bin Hassan al Dhabit al Dousari. This agreement will provide an opportunity for more people to be accommodated in Qatar and also in rehabilitating those Pakistanis whose contracts expire subsequently.
It will also help those workers who, after the expiry of their contract, or otherwise, will be able to get their full benefits in terms of social security, wages or any other emoluments being their legal dues.
Under the articles of the additional protocol, it will be a step forward to ensure additional employment opportunities in Qatar, and it will be reviewed once a year through a joint committee to facilitate Pakistani workers.
Talking to media, the Minister said that around 75,000 Pakistanis are working in Qatar so far. Under this agreement, he said, ''We would send 30,000 workers to Qatar in 2008". Khursheed said that HE would soon visit Qatar to discuss matters relating to export of IT experts, doctors and engineers.
He said that Qatar has been demanding skilled manpower, "but we are facing a shortage of trained workers due to discontinuation in policies during last many years".
However, the government is making a plan to set up more vocational institutes countrywide to train workers to meet requirements of international labour markets, he added. He said that the government was also making a comprehensive plan to curb child labour through education and financial aid.
The Minister said that he would visit Saudi Arabia on Monday to discuss the Haj policy with the Saudi government. The new Haj policy would be announced in near future, he added. He said that Haj would be expensive this year due to growing oil prices in the international market.
The Qatar government is committed to invest more than $2 billion in Pakistan. It is now the fastest growing economy in the world, and is in the process of building up its infrastructure. The major sources of Qatar are liquefied natural gas (LNG) and oil.