The government wants to send more than 200,000 skilled workers to Qatar in its efforts to find job opportunities for Kenyans overseas.

Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua made the announcement on Sunday when he met with Qatar’s labour minister Ali Saeed Samikh Al Marri at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

Kenya and Qatar have started bilateral talks aimed at finalising a new memorandum of understanding between the two countries that will allow Kenyans to work in the Gulf state, Mutua said.

A new pact, which is under negotiation, will amend the 2012 bilateral labour agreement, which primarily focused on unskilled labour migration.

“This MoU will open thousands of opportunities for skilled Kenyans to contribute to Qatar’s growth while gaining valuable experience and bettering livelihoods,” said Mutua.

Qatar, he added, has ambitious development projects that have created opportunities and demand for workers in several sectors including ICT, health, education, infrastructure, and agriculture.

He emphasised that the talks reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to providing ethical, trained, and well-prepared workers to meet Qatar’s needs, while ensuring that Kenyan workers are protected and treated fairly.

The two countries also agreed to establish a Qatar visa centre in Nairobi to streamline migration processes.

For his part, Al Marri said Qatar was keen to get skilled labour from Kenya, adding that the visa centre will ensure fair and transparent migration processes.

“With the new visa centre, we can ensure that all workers are processed and protected before they depart, reducing risks and enhancing transparency,” he said.

An estimated 67,000 Kenyans are working in Qatar.