Director-General of the Arab Labour Organisation (ALO) Fayez Ali al-Mutairi stressed that Qatar is one of the main partners of the organisation and one of its supporters, along with other Arab countries. In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), al-Mutairi praised Qatar's major labour reforms which benefited workers.
He also praised the protection Qatar provided to everyone living in it, including workers, during the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and distributing vaccines to everyone without discrimination.
Al-Mutairi stressed the remarkable success achieved by the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, saying that it reflects the ability of Arab and Islamic countries to host such mega events and represents a source of pride for all Arab countries and people without exception. He congratulated His Highness the Amir, the government, and the people of Qatar on this distinguished success. He said that Qatar granted workers, as well as all visitors and football fans, everything they needed for a whole month. No complaints were received, and no one got hurt, which shows Qatar's keenness for the safety and security of everyone, especially during that global football event.
Al-Mutairi recalled a report he wrote and submitted to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) praising Qatar's interest in all workers in 2016 when he visited workers' accommodations in the country.
The ALO director-general praised Qatar's effective role in the ILO and its continuous support for Arab issues, as Qatar is the Arab group's co-ordinator at the ILO and seeks to unify their stances in international labor issues of common interest. He stressed the distinguished role of Qatari women in the field of public work and the business sector and their assumption of various leadership positions.
Al-Mutairi highlighted the role of digitisation to find a job mechanism, how to prepare for it, and everything that matters to the development of Arab countries, especially with regard to providing job opportunities for young people in the Arab world. He said that the Arab world needs millions of job opportunities, especially after the Covid-19 negative repercussions, which disrupted the economy and jobs, which confirms the need of many developed and developing countries to benefit from entrepreneurship and small projects and to reduce the burden on Arab governments.
The ALO launched a biennial strategy on employment, as well as several reports on employment and unemployment in the Arab world, and how to benefit from the seas surrounding the Arab world, as well as from agricultural facilities, many farms and green areas in the Arab regions, he said. Al-Mutairi highlighted the need to support small projects and productive families while benefiting in this context through the exchange of expertise among the Arab countries.
Regarding the role of education in reducing unemployment and labour challenges in the Arab region, he stressed the need to comply with the requirements of labour markets, noting that life conditions have evolved and that the Covid-19 pandemic imposed many related challenges, including performing work and tasks remotely, which forced people to use technology and digitisation.
Fayez Ali al-Mutairi
