President John Dramani Mahama has arrived in Doha, Qatar, ahead of his participation in the Doha Forum 2025, following a formal invitation from the Emir of Qatar to advance key discussions on bilateral cooperation.
His arrival comes shortly after Parliament, acting under Article 75 of the 1992 Constitution, ratified a Labour Mobility Agreement that guarantees significantly improved working conditions for Ghanaians set to be deployed to Qatar.
The agreement secures better salaries, decent accommodation, medical allowances, insurance cover, and enforceable contracts—marking a major step toward safeguarding the welfare of Ghanaian workers abroad.
President Mahama is expected to deliver opening remarks on the theme “Education as Justice in Times of Crisis” and later join a panel discussion on “Economic Empowerment in Africa: Pathway to Inclusive Prosperity.”
A central feature of his visit is a high-level meeting with H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, aimed at strengthening the longstanding Ghana–Qatar relationship established in 1982. Over the years, this partnership has expanded into more than 11 agreements across multiple sectors, contributing meaningfully to national development.
President Mahama traveled aboard a fully Qatari state-sponsored Executive flight on Qatar Airways for his one-day working visit to the Gulf state.
The Doha Forum 2025, held under the theme “Justice in Action: Beyond Promises to Progress,” convenes global leaders to confront the world’s most pressing, interconnected crises—including conflict, health emergencies, educational disruptions, and the widening divide between the Global North and Global South.
The forum emphasizes the need for shared resources, knowledge, and technology to address glaring inequalities that threaten global stability and collective progress.
The platform urges world leaders to move beyond rhetoric and embrace practical, forward-looking solutions through policy innovation, transparent resource allocation, and collaborative action to build a more just and sustainable future.
For decades, the Doha Forum has served as a global stage, anchored on Diplomacy, Dialogue, and Diversity, that brings together policymakers and leaders to engage on complex global challenges and chart actionable pathways toward solutions.
Ghana and Qatar’s 43-year diplomatic relationship continues to record notable milestones, including the opening of Qatar embassy in Ghana in 2018, the appointment of a Qatari Ambassador to Ghana in March 2018, and several groundbreaking agreements signed during the Emir’s 2017 visit to Accra.
These include cooperation agreements between the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; the establishment of a joint trade and investment committee; an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and fiscal evasion; and memoranda of understanding in areas such as sports and civil aviation.
Both nations have also concluded an aviation services agreement, a draft agreement on the encouragement and mutual protection of investments, and a draft framework governing labour employment.
Additionally, an agreement was reached to abolish visa requirements for diplomatic and special passport holders, further cementing the partnership between the two countries.
By: Richmond Fordjour Ampofo
