Special to WorldTribune.com
RAMALLAH — Qatar has agreed to recruit tens of thousands of Palestinians.
The Palestinian Authority said Qatar would recruit 20,000 Palestinians to work in the Gulf Cooperation Council emirate. The PA Labor Ministry said Doha would employ skilled Palestinians for long-term contracts.
“The responsibilities of the Labor Ministry, in efforts aimed at increasing the number of Palestinian workers in Qatar, revolve around establishing an electronic link between the Palestinian and Qatari labor ministries, to facilitate and expedite procedures,” Labor Minister Ahmed Majdalani said.
In a statement on Jan. 23, Majdalani said 20,000 Palestinians have already been working in Qatar. He said his ministry was receiving applications from Palestinians in both the West Bank as well as the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
“Further technical arrangements have to be put in place, which the Palestinian ambassador to Qatar is working on,” the minister said.
Officials said the agreement could provide opportunities for university-educated Palestinians unable to find a job in either the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They cited layoffs of skilled workers by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. The PA reported 23 percent unemployment in 2013, with 40,000 Palestinians seeking to join the work force.
“All forecasts indicate that the Palestinian economy is unable to
generate more than 15,000 new job opportunities per year at best,” the Labor
Ministry said.
Officials said Qatar’s employment offer marked an element in its
multi-billion-dollar aid package to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Unemployment in the Gaza Strip was said to run more than double that of the
West Bank.
“The Labor Ministry has begun accepting electronic applications on its
website’s labor market information page,” the Labor Ministry said. “These
included submissions from various social groupings in the West Bank, Gaza
and the Palestinian diaspora.”
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