Kenya has secured 13,000 new job opportunities for its citizens in Qatar, following a high-level meeting between President William Ruto and Qatar’s Minister of Labour, Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri, held on the sidelines of the United Nations Social Development Summit in Doha.
President Ruto said the agreement marks a major step forward in Kenya’s Labour Mobility Programme, which aims to expand quality job opportunities for young people and equip them with global experience and skills that can drive the country’s economic transformation.
“We are committed to expanding quality job opportunities for our young people through the Labour Mobility Programme, helping to equip them to acquire global experience and skills that they ultimately bring back home to support Kenya’s development,” the President said.
As part of the new partnership, Kenya and Qatar will operationalise a Qatari Visa Centre in Nairobi by early 2026. The facility is expected to streamline the processing of travel documents for Kenyan workers heading to Qatar, reduce bureaucratic delays, and strengthen oversight to protect citizens from rogue recruitment agencies.
President Ruto welcomed Qatar’s gesture, noting that the additional 13,000 job slots will raise the total number of Kenyans working in the Gulf nation to about 90,000, giving more young people access to global employment, competitive earnings, and the opportunity to uplift their families and communities.
The President emphasised that the collaboration underscores Kenya’s commitment to deepening bilateral relations with Qatar while ensuring that overseas employment remains safe, dignified, and beneficial to both the workers and the nation’s long-term growth agenda.
