UAE showcases its labour market policies to enhance workforce competitiveness and wellbeing at the 10th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting

His Excellency Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, participated in the 10th BRICS Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting, which concluded on Tuesday, in the Russian city of Sochi. The two-day meeting addressed key priority topics and recent developments shaping global labour markets.

The meeting brought together the Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Secretary-General of the International Social Security Association (ISSA), representatives of employers and workers in the Russian Federation, as well as Labour Ministers and delegation heads from BRICS member countries.

During the meeting, His Excellency Al Awar commended the efforts made to facilitate dialogue and cooperation among the BRICS member states in promoting sustainable labour practices.

Al Awar reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to establishing a competitive knowledge-based labour market, in line with its objectives and vision for a diversified knowledge economy, noting that “the UAE Government has allocated 16% of the federal budget to education in 2024, while also advancing the National Strategy for Higher Education 2030, to equip future generations with technical and practical skills, improve accreditation standards, and align educational curricula with international standards”.

His Excellency emphasised the urgent need for dynamic career guidance and lifelong vocational education, which has become increasingly critical amid the rapid transformations in labour and production markets, highlighting the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council’s policies to support UAE citizens in advancing their careers, as well as the Nafis programme’s contributions, which have enabled a 217% increase in the number of Emirati citizens employed in the private sector since its launch in September 2021.

Al Awar further stated that “the UAE has set a clear vision to align educational outcomes with labour market needs through specialised vocational training programmes that aim to equip school and university students with the skills needed to thrive in the job market, with strong support from private sector companies which have increased their provision of student training opportunities by 206% and established e-learning platforms and online training courses”.

His Excellency went on to address the rise of remote work as an emerging employment model in the UAE labour market, explaining that “employees engaged in remote work are afforded the same legal protections under the Federal Decree-Law Regarding the Regulation of Employment Relationships as those in other, more traditional work arrangements”.

“The UAE responded proactively to global transformations driven by advanced technology, positioning itself today at the forefront of the digital revolution,” His Excellency said. “The UAE is guided by a strategy that strives to double the digital economy’s contribution to the GDP from 9.7% in 2022 to 19.4% over the next decade, with the aim of positioning the UAE as a global digital hub by leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and attracting exceptional talent.”

Al Awar noted that the UAE labour market, which employs workers from around 200 different nationalities, stands at the forefront of global labour markets in various competitiveness indicators. “According to the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, the UAE ranked first globally in employment, labour dispute resolution, allocation costs, and working hours,” he revealed. “This reflects the effectiveness of the country’s labour market policies and legislation, which have contributed to a 14% increase in women’s representation in the workforce.”

“The UAE has launched a series of policies designed specifically to ensure workers’ safety, including a comprehensive system outlining occupational health and safety standards and requirements for labour accommodations,” His Excellency continued, citing the ban on outdoor work during midday hours in the summer months to protect workers from heat stress and sunstroke, which private sector companies have notably committed to for the past 20 years.

“The UAE adheres to a comprehensive social security strategy that ensures protection against unemployment for nearly 98% of workers in the country, regardless of their nationality and across all economic sectors,”  he added. “This includes the Wage Protection System, which covers 99% of the workforce; the expansion of the health insurance programme to provide comprehensive health coverage for workers in all sectors starting from 2025; and the Alternative End-of-Service Benefits System (Savings Scheme)”.

The participating delegation from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation in the meeting included Her Excellency Shayma Alawadhi, Assistant Undersecretary for Communication and International Relations, along with several officials from the Ministry.