(MENAFN - The Peninsula) The Peninsula

Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) and the Rand Corporation have agreed to conduct a study on opportunities for refugees and host countries in middle-eastern labour markets.

The study will provide a socio-economic assessment of labour markets, and the supply of jobs in host countries. It will identify specific sectors that would benefit from additional workers; document the skills of refugees to understand where and how they might be gainfully employed in ways that may also help their host countries; and identify critical steps that could be taken to facilitate long-term economic opportunities as well as social cohesion.

That the study builds upon existing collaborative work of Rand researchers with United Nations agencies, as well as the broader existing knowledge base on the refugee crisis.

Ali Al Dabbagh, Executive Director of Corporate Strategy at QFFD, said: 'Qatar has been persistently delivering on its pledges towards the humanitarian crisis in the region, including Syria, Yemen and Iraq. We intend to highlight through this study the mutual economic opportunities that exist, but remain untapped, for both the refugees from these countries and the host communities.

Charlie Ries, Vice President of Rand Corporation commented on the agreement: 'We look forward to undertaking this research on this very important issue, and helping refugees and their host communities to find mutually beneficial economic opportunities pending their return to their countries of origin.

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