Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri speaking before the 48th session of Arab Labour Conference.
Doha: Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri participated in the the Arab Labour Conference in its 48th session, which started yesterday in Cairo, in the presence of labour ministers, representatives of workers, employers and trade unions in the member states of the Arab Labour Organisation.
The Minister, during his speech at the conference, highlighted that COVID-19 pandemic has caused heavy losses and has stricken labour sectors badly all over the world in an alarming rate, noting that this compelled companies to streamline the use of digital technologies to attain a certain level of operation during that difficult period turning digital transformation into a reality.
Al Marri said: “In light of the progress we are witnessing, countries and institutions around the world continue to seek to adopt digital technologies in providing more information and services and automating their operations with the aim of serving customers and beneficiaries, advancing economic progress, and building more interactive relationships with individuals and institutions.”
He said that Qatar is working to consolidate efforts to expedite digital government initiatives to achieve ambitions and in line with Qatar Vision 2030, noting that the Qatari government placed the “Qatar Digital Government” project at the end of 2013 at the top of the priority list.
The Minister said that Qatar Digital Government seeks to provide a better life for society, by adapting technology to propound innovative solutions that meet the needs of the public as well as providing the tools needed by employees of government agencies to provide distinguished services.
He noted that efforts in the context of adapting technology have had a significant impact on reducing the adverse impact of the pandemic, as it reduced the deleterious effect, especially with regard to protecting workers and preserving their jobs.
The Minister said that the Ministry has launched a package of new electronic digital services, as part of its digital transformation strategy aimed at providing all services electronically without using paper, relying on digital solutions, and contributing to achieving excellence in performance to ensure the quality of services for workers and employers.
He said, “We must keep sharp lookout for the repercussions of digital transformation on employment issues in the Arab world, which forces us to change the approach to educational outcomes in universities and link them to the labour market.”
The Minister stressed that Qatar is moving at a steady pace towards development and hard work to achieve development in all fields, as it included many legislative and institutional reforms, noting that the country during the past years has implemented extensive reforms to promote labour laws and the protection of migrant workers and their safety.
Meanwhile, Minister of Labour H E Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri met Minister of Manpower of Egypt H E Hassan Shehata on the sidelines of the 48th session of the Arab Labour Conference held. During the meeting, relations between Qatar and Egypt were reviewed, especially on issues related to labour, and ways to enhance and develop them.
Al Marri also met Minister of Labour of Lebanon H E Dr. Mustafa Hussein Bayram on the sidelines of the 48th session of the Arab Labour Conference held in Cairo. During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance joint cooperation between the two countries in the fields of the labour sector,
He also met with Director-General of the Arab Labour Organisation H E Fayez Ali Al Mutairi on the sidelines of the 48th session of the Arab Labour Conference During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways of joint cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Arab Labour Organisation to serve the issues of the Labour sector in the Arab states, and the importance of strengthening coordination between the three Labour parties to overcome the challenges facing the Arab labour environment.
