Mohre Highlights UAE’s Measures to Protect Businesses and Workers at International Labour Summit

The UAE’s Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, H.E. Nasser bin Thani Juma Ali Hamli, on Thursday highlighted, at an international summit hosted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the measures that the UAE has taken to protect businesses and workers. The five-day summit, titled Building a Better Future of Work, is the largest ever online gathering of workers, employers and governments.

Addressing the summit, the minister said, “The Government of the United Arab Emirates adopted a Dh256 billion ($70bn) economic stimulus package, to support the economy and counter the impact of coronavirus throughout this period. Exceptional measures have been taken to protect jobs and help businesses to survive. These include budget allocations to small and medium sized enterprises, reducing employer recruitment costs, the establishment of a virtual labour market, and the automatic renewal of visas for workers.

“In the midst of this global downturn, the economy of the United Arab Emirates remains one of the strongest and most resilient in the world, capable of responding to shocks with exceptional dynamism. We have already begun a process of implementing the country’s post-COVID-19 strategy, including a review of the institutional structure of the UAE Government, in order to maximise our capacity to benefit from digital innovations, artificial intelligence, and other future of work developments.

“The UAE is investing to enhance the professional future of millions of people, providing them with the skills needed to respond to the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including through an initiative launched early this year in partnership with the World Economic Forum to reduce the skills gap of the future. With these measures, I am confident that we are laying a path for future prosperity in both the short and long term”.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected how governments around the world are responding to future of work challenges. In many cases, the pandemic has fast-tracked the adoption of new technologies, including the use of video conferencing and other remote working apps, leading to companies revisiting their business models. In 2019, the ILO adopted a Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, which proposes a human-centric framework for stakeholders to adopt.