11th GCC Labour Ministers’ Meeting Complete Guide 2026

If you work in HR, recruitment, migration policy, or you’re simply a resident or jobseeker in the Gulf, you’ve probably seen headlines about the 11th GCC Labour Ministers’ Meeting and wondered what it actually decided and whether it affects you.

This meeting brought together the labour and human resources ministers of all six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in Kuwait City to align policy on some of the region’s biggest workforce questions: nationalisation quotas (like Emiratisation and Saudisation), protections against forced labour and human trafficking, cross-border labour mobility, and how AI and digital transformation are reshaping Gulf jobs.

In this article, you’ll get a clear, no-fluff breakdown of:

What the 11th GCC Labour Ministers’ Meeting was and when it happened
Who attended and what each delegation said
The key agreements and outcomes, including a new UAE–Qatar MoU
How this meeting fits into the broader history of GCC labour cooperation
What it means in practice for employers, workers, and jobseekers in the Gulf
Common mistakes people make when interpreting these meetings
Answers to the most frequently asked questions on this topic

Quick Answer: What Happened at the 11th GCC Labour Ministers’ Meeting

The 11th meeting of the GCC Labour Ministers’ Committee was held in Kuwait, where participants reviewed topics related to labour across the GCC countries and discussed enhancing international cooperation between GCC countries and international organisations specialised in the labour sector. It concluded on September 4, 2025 with GCC labour ministers,Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi, and delegations from every member state in attendance.

The headline outcomes were:

A renewed push on the regional framework for combating forced labour and human trafficking in the workplace
A new UAE–Qatar Memorandum of Understanding on labour and human resources cooperation, signed by the UAE’s Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Qatar’s Minister of Labour
Continued emphasis on the Abu Dhabi Dialogue as a tool for facilitating labour mobility from sending countries to GCC receiving countries and attracting skilled workers
An awards ceremony recognising leading companies in Emiratisation and outstanding small businesses across GCC countries

If you only remember one thing from this article, remember this: the meeting wasn’t about a single new law. It was about regional coordination GCC states comparing notes, harmonising standards, and signing bilateral agreements that build toward a more unified Gulf labour market.

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What Is the GCC Labour Ministers’ Committee?

The GCC Labour Ministers’ Committee is a standing body under the Gulf Cooperation Council that brings together the labour, human resources, or social affairs ministers of the six member states:

United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia
Qatar
Kuwait
Bahrain
Oman

Its job is to coordinate labour market policy across the bloc everything from wage protection systems to nationalisation quotas to how the region handles millions of foreign workers. Because GCC economies rely heavily on expatriate labour (in some member states, foreign workers make up the majority of the private-sector workforce), this committee plays an outsized role in shaping daily life for tens of millions of people.The committee meets regularly, and each session is numbered sequentially hence “11th meeting.”

When and Where Was the 11th Meeting Held

The 11th GCC Labour Ministers’ Meeting took place in Kuwait City, Kuwait, and concluded on September 4, 2025. Kuwait hosted the session as part of the rotating format the GCC typically uses for ministerial meetings, giving each member state a turn to chair and host discussions.

This continued a pattern from the previous year, when Qatar chaired a similar meeting of the GCC Labour Ministers Committee in September 2024 underscoring that this is an annual, recurring forum rather than a one-off event.

Who Attended the 11th GCC Labour Ministers’ Meeting

Each GCC member state sent a senior labour official, along with technical delegations.

Key attendees included:

Country	Representative	Title
UAE	Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar	Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Qatar	Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri	Minister of Labor
GCC Secretariat	Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi	Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council

On the sidelines of the main meeting, UAE’s Al Awar also met separately with Kuwait’s Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya and Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah a reminder that these gatherings often double as broader diplomatic engagements, not just technical labour talks.

Key Agenda Items Discussed

Based on statements from multiple delegations, the meeting’s agenda covered several recurring GCC labour priorities:

1. Combating Forced Labour and Human Trafficking

Ministers discussed the regional framework for combating forced labour and human trafficking in the workplace. This has been a consistent theme across recent meetings, reflecting ongoing international scrutiny of labour conditions for migrant workers in the Gulf.

2. Strengthening Regional Cooperation

Delegates focused on ways to strengthen collective Gulf cooperation in the labor market and exchange successful experiences and best practices among member states.

3. International Organisation Engagement

The committee discussed enhancing international cooperation between GCC countries and international organisations specialised in the labour sector a nod to the GCC’s ongoing relationship with bodies like the International Labour Organization (ILO).

4. Labour Mobility and Skilled Worker Attraction

The UAE delegation specifically highlighted the Abu Dhabi Dialogue’s value in facilitating labour mobility from sending countries to GCC’s receiving countries and attracting skilled workers.

5. Future of Work: AI and Digital Transformation

The UAE noted that its national labour framework supports job creation in future-oriented sectors like digital transformation and artificial intelligence signalling that AI’s impact on jobs is now a standing item in GCC labour discussions, not a side note.

6. Nationalisation and Workforce Localisation

While this specific meeting’s public statements focused less on nationalisation quotas than the 2024 session, it remains an underlying theme across all GCC labour cooperation, given each state’s active workforce-nationalisation programs (Emiratisation, Saudisation, Qatarisation, Omanisation, Bahrainisation, and Kuwaitisation).

Major Outcomes and Agreements

A Renewed Commitment to Worker Protection Frameworks

The UAE reiterated that it has implemented a comprehensive framework for the protection of its workers, which it credited with boosting the labour market’s attractiveness and enhancing employees’ skills.

An Awards Ceremony Recognising Best Practice

Alongside the main meeting, an awards ceremony recognised leading companies in Emiratisation and outstanding small businesses across GCC countries, with UAE-based firms among the honourees. This kind of recognition programme is designed to spotlight private-sector employers who are successfully hiring and developing national talent a model other GCC states are likely watching closely.

Strong Domestic Labour Market Data Shared by the UAE

To support its case for continued Emiratisation momentum, the UAE shared notable statistics at the meeting:

The number of Emirati citizens in the private sector has exceeded 152,000
The private sector saw 17% growth in the number of companies last year
The UAE ranked first globally in workforce growth and employment level according to the Global Competitiveness Yearbook Report 2025, with workforce growth reaching 12% and skilled workforce growth at 13%

These figures were used to argue that structured national labour policy and regional cooperation can move together without conflict.

The UAE–Qatar Labour MoU Explained

One of the most concrete deliverables of the 11th meeting was a bilateral agreement between the UAE and Qatar.The UAE and Qatar signed a Memorandum of Understanding on labour and human resources cooperation during the meeting, with the agreement signed by the UAE’s Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, and Qatar’s Minister of Labour, Dr. Ali bin Smaikh Al Marri.

What does the MoU actually cover?It sets a framework for enhanced collaboration between the two countries in legislation, expertise exchange, and joint initiatives related to employment and workforce development. Officials said the deal will advance training projects, strengthen jobseeker registration systems, and support the rehabilitation of national workforces</cite>.

In plain terms: this is a working agreement to share policy expertise, align legal approaches, and improve how each country connects jobseekers with employers not a treaty that changes visa rules or work permits overnight.

The Abu Dhabi Dialogue Connection

You’ll notice the “Abu Dhabi Dialogue” mentioned repeatedly in coverage of this meeting. If you’re unfamiliar with it, here’s the short version: the Abu Dhabi Dialogue is a long-running consultative forum between GCC labour-receiving countries and major labour-sending countries in Asia, focused on protecting migrant workers and improving recruitment practices.

The UAE specifically credited this dialogue with facilitating labour mobility from sending countries to GCC’s receiving countries, attracting skilled workers, and supporting other pioneering UAE initiatives in the labour market. Its repeated mention at the 11th GCC meeting shows the GCC increasingly treats labour-sending country relationships as a shared regional interest, not just a bilateral issue for each individual state.

How This Meeting Fits Into GCC Labour History

To understand the 11th meeting, it helps to see the pattern of what came before it.

At the 10th meeting, hosted by Qatar in September 2024, ministers reviewed the Gulf framework for combating human trafficking and forced labour, as well as legislation related to women’s employment and maternity leave across the GCC. They also discussed the Supreme Council’s resolutions on including GCC citizens in nationalisation quotas within the region, and touched on updates to GCC labour laws, the green economy, and the future of employment in the region.

Going back further, GCC labour cooperation has repeatedly focused on protecting the region’s enormous population of foreign workers. In one earlier joint session between GCC and Asian labour-sending countries, ministers agreed on initiatives to boost protection and improve employment conditions for millions of foreign workers, welcoming an ILO proposal to help prevent abuse in recruitment, protect workers’ rights, and strengthen regulatory oversight. That same discussion noted that GCC states host at least 15 million workers, the vast majority from Asia and that ministers had already agreed on minimum contract terms for domestic staff to improve conditions for over 2.4 million foreign maids.

On the international side, the GCC’s relationship with the ILO has also deepened. In late 2024, the two bodies announced a comprehensive Plan of Joint Activities for 2025–2029 to strengthen cooperation and promote the Decent Work Agenda across the GCC region, developed jointly by the ILO Regional Office for the Arab States and the GCC Executive Bureau. The 11th meeting’s discussions on international cooperation build directly on that plan.

The pattern is clear: each annual meeting doesn’t reinvent GCC labour policy from scratch. It reviews progress on ongoing initiatives (forced labour frameworks, nationalisation, worker protections), adds new bilateral or multilateral agreements, and folds in emerging issues this year, that emerging issue was AI’s effect on jobs.

Why This Meeting Matters for Employers and Workers

It’s easy to read a diplomatic readout and assume it’s just ceremonial. It isn’t here’s why it matters depending on who you are:

If you’re an employer operating in the Gulf:

Expect continued regulatory emphasis on nationalisation quotas and worker-protection compliance.
The UAE–Qatar MoU signals that jobseeker registration systems and cross-border HR data-sharing may become more standardised worth monitoring if you hire across both markets.
Recognition programmes like the Emiratisation awards ceremony indicate that visible compliance and localisation performance can become a reputational asset, not just a legal requirement.

If you’re a migrant worker or considering working in the Gulf:

The continued focus on anti-trafficking and anti-forced-labour frameworks reflects sustained (if gradual) regulatory attention to recruitment abuse and workplace protections.
The Abu Dhabi Dialogue’s role means labour-sending country governments have an active channel to raise concerns about worker treatment.

If you’re a policy researcher or journalist:

Track the gap between what’s announced (frameworks, MoUs, dialogues) and what’s implemented (specific legislation, enforcement data). Ministerial meeting statements are directional, not always immediately binding.

Common Mistakes People Make When Reading These Reports

Assuming a “framework” is a new law. Most GCC labour meetings discuss frameworks and dialogues these are policy coordination tools, not enacted legislation. Always check whether a specific country has passed implementing regulations.
Treating the meeting as a single unified GCC decision. Each country retains its own labour law. The GCC Labour Ministers’ Committee coordinates and recommends; it doesn’t override national sovereignty over labour legislation.
Overlooking bilateral deals buried in multilateral coverage. The UAE–Qatar MoU is a genuinely concrete outcome, but it’s easy to miss amid general statements about “cooperation” and “coordination.”
Ignoring the historical thread. Comparing this meeting only in isolation misses the fact that most agenda items (forced labour, nationalisation, worker protection) are multi-year, ongoing initiatives — not new each time.

Practical Tips: How to Track Future GCC Labour Policy Changes

Follow official channels directly: the UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), Qatar’s Ministry of Labour, and the GCC Secretariat publish primary statements after each meeting.
Watch for MoUs and bilateral agreements specifically these tend to translate into concrete programme changes faster than broad multilateral frameworks.
Cross-reference GCC announcements with ILO publications, since the two bodies now operate under a formal joint activity plan through 2029.
Set a calendar reminder around late summer/early autumn each year GCC Labour Ministers’ meetings have consistently occurred around August–September in recent years.

Key Takeaways

The 11th GCC Labour Ministers’ Meeting was held in Kuwait City and concluded on September 4, 2025.
All six GCC states participated, along with GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi.
Core agenda items included combating forced labour and human trafficking, regional labour market cooperation, international organisation engagement, labour mobility, and the impact of AI on jobs.
The UAE and Qatar signed a bilateral MoU on labour and HR cooperation covering legislation, training, and jobseeker registration systems.
The Abu Dhabi Dialogue remains a key mechanism for managing labour mobility between sending and receiving countries.
This meeting continues an annual pattern of GCC labour cooperation that has run for over a decade, building incrementally rather than through single dramatic policy shifts.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s the 11th session of the GCC Labour Ministers’ Committee, an annual forum where labour and human resources ministers from all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries coordinate regional labour market policy. The 11th meeting was held in Kuwait City and concluded on September 4, 2025.

It was held in Kuwait City, Kuwait, with Kuwait serving as host under the GCC’s rotating meeting format.

Labour and human resources ministers from all six GCC member states attended, along with GCC Secretary-General Jassim Mohammed Al Budaiwi. Notable attendees included the UAE’s Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar and Qatar’s Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al Marri.

They signed a Memorandum of Understanding on labour and human resources cooperation, covering legislation alignment, expertise exchange, training projects, jobseeker registration systems, and workforce development.

The Abu Dhabi Dialogue is a consultative forum between GCC labour-receiving countries and Asian labour-sending countries focused on protecting migrant workers and improving labour mobility. It was highlighted at the 11th meeting as a key tool for attracting skilled workers to the GCC.

No new binding regional law was announced. The meeting focused on frameworks, cooperation agreements, and bilateral MoUs rather than enacting new legislation. Individual member states retain authority over their own labour laws.

The meeting included an awards ceremony recognising companies excelling in Emiratisation and small businesses across the GCC, reflecting how nationalisation performance is increasingly highlighted at the regional level, alongside each country’s own quota systems.

The International Labour Organization and the GCC operate under a joint Plan of Activities for 2025–2029, focused on advancing the Decent Work Agenda. GCC labour ministers’ meetings often reference this ongoing partnership when discussing international cooperation.

It meets annually, with hosting duties rotating among member states. The 10th meeting was hosted by Qatar in September 2024, and the 11th was hosted by Kuwait in September 2025.

Because GCC economies rely heavily on foreign labour collectively hosting well over 15 million migrant workers combating exploitation in recruitment and employment remains an ongoing regional and international priority, reinforced through frameworks discussed at nearly every recent meeting.

Conclusion

The 11th GCC Labour Ministers’ Meeting wasn’t a single dramatic policy announcement it was another step in a long, deliberate process of regional labour coordination. Between the renewed focus on combating forced labour, the concrete UAE–Qatar MoU, and continued attention to AI’s effect on Gulf jobs, this meeting shows the GCC treating labour policy as an ongoing, collaborative project rather than a series of isolated national decisions.

If you’re affected by Gulf labour policy as an employer, a worker, or a researcher the practical move is to watch for implementation, not just announcements. Frameworks and dialogues set direction; national legislation and bilateral agreements like the UAE–Qatar MoU are where that direction actually becomes policy on the ground.