Sochi: The tenth BRICS Labour and Employment Ministerial Meeting in Sochi, Russia, ended on Tuesday. Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization, Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, was present. The two-day conference covered important issues and current trends influencing the world’s labor markets.
The meeting included labor ministers and delegation heads from the BRICS member nations, as well as the secretary general of the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the director general of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and representatives of employers and workers in the Russian Federation. Al Awar praised the efforts made at the summit to encourage collaboration and communication among the BRICS member nations in order to advance sustainable labor standards.
In keeping with its goals and vision for a diverse knowledge economy, Al Awar reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to creating a competitive labor market based on knowledge. He stated that “the UAE Government has allocated 16 percent 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.”
He emphasized the critical need for lifelong vocational education and dynamic career guidance in light of the rapidly changing labor and production markets. He also highlighted the policies of the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, which aim to support UAE citizens in advancing their careers, and the Nafis program, which has helped to increase the number of Emirati citizens working in the private sector by 217 percent since its inception 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 programs 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 percent and established e-learning platforms and online training courses.”.
“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,” he explained, addressing the rise of remote work as an emerging employment model in the UAE labor market.
“The UAE responded proactively to global transformations driven by advanced technology, positioning itself today at the forefront of the digital revolution,” he added. “The UAE is guided by a strategy that strives to double the digital economy’s contribution to the GDP from 9.7 percent in 2022 to 19.4 percent 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.”
According to Al Awar, the UAE labor market leads all other global labor markets in a number of competitiveness metrics, employing workers from almost 200 different nationalities. “According to the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, the UAE ranked first globally in employment, labour dispute resolution, allocation costs, and working hours,” he stated. “This reflects the effectiveness of the country’s labour market policies and legislation, which have contributed to a 14 percent increase in women’s representation in the workforce.”
“To safeguard workers from heat stress and sunstroke, the UAE has implemented a number of policies, including a comprehensive system outlining occupational health and safety standards and requirements for labor accommodations,” Al Awar said. She also mentioned the prohibition on working outside during midday in the summer, 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 said. “This includes the Wage Protection System, which covers 99 percent of the workforce; the expansion of the health insurance program to provide comprehensive health coverage for workers in all sectors starting from 2025; and the Alternative End-of-Service Benefits System (Savings Scheme).”.
Along with a number of other Ministry officials, Shayma Alawadhi, Assistant Undersecretary for Communication and International Relations, led the team from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization that attended the conference.
