Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has confirmed that his government is actively negotiating visa‑easing arrangements with Qatar, alongside efforts to finalise a labour mobility agreement that will open up employment opportunities for skilled Ghanaian youth. The developments emerged during his official visit to Doha, where he met with Qatari leaders to deepen bilateral cooperation.
In a Facebook post, Minister Ablakwa said that Ghana and Qatar have committed to “easing visa requirements to facilitate greater movement of persons and goods,” a change he believes will boost trade, tourism, and logistics. He added that the two countries intend to speed up the signing of a labour mobility agreement aimed at integrating Ghana’s skilled workforce into a variety of sectors in Qatar.
The discussions in Doha also covered security cooperation and conflict mediation, areas both governments reaffirmed as central to their strategic partnership. Ablakwa revealed plans for a Presidential Ghana‑Qatar Business Forum during President John Dramani Mahama’s upcoming visit to Qatar, envisioned as a catalyst for deeper private-sector and investment partnerships.
On the labour front, the Foreign Affairs Minister expressed optimism that formalising the mobility pact will generate job opportunities in high-demand sectors. According to Ghana’s Information Services Department, Qatar has signalled interest in recruiting Ghanaians in healthcare, IT, transport, and tourism. As part of this cooperation, Ghana proposes to establish a West African–Qatar Visa Centre, which could streamline visa processing and labour mobility across the region.
For Ghana, the visa‑easing commitment comes on the heels of its own domestic visa reforms: earlier in 2025, the government introduced a fast-track policy that reduces visa processing to five working days in an effort to promote tourism and investment.
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