UAE's New Labour Market Council Aims To Enhance National Strategy And Global Competitiveness

The Coordinating Council for Labour Market in the UAE convened its inaugural meeting, chaired by Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The session included Council members such as officials, heads of local government departments, and representatives from federal government entities.

The Council was established following Cabinet Decision 25/3 of 2024. It is responsible for reviewing legislation, policies, strategies, programmes, and initiatives concerning private sector companies, employees, and domestic workers. The Council aims to align federal and local systems, regulations, and procedures related to the labour market.

Dr. Al Awar highlighted that the Council's formation aligns with the leadership’s vision of integrating roles between federal and local government entities. This integration aims to streamline efforts within a unified government system to enhance the UAE’s global competitiveness and position as a prime destination for living, working, and investing.

"The meeting is the first step towards achieving the ambitious goals for which the Council was established," Dr. Al Awar stated. He expressed confidence that upcoming periods would witness strategic transformations in joint efforts among all entities involved in the labour market.

Attendees

The meeting saw participation from several key figures including Major General Sultan Al Nuaimi, Director-General of Residency and Foreigners Affairs at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security; Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy; and Abdullah Khalfan Al Shamsi, Director-General of Legal Affairs and Legislation at the Abu Dhabi Executive Office.

Other attendees included Rashed Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; Ahmad bin Meshar, Secretary-General of the Supreme Legislation Committee in Dubai; Sheikh Mohammed bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Labour Standards Development Authority in Sharjah; Humaid Rashid Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Executive Council of Umm Al Quwain Government; and Dr. Abdulrahman Al Naqbi, Director-General of the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development.

Additional Participants

Additional participants included Juma Al Kaabi, Executive Director of the IT Sector at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security; Counsellor Burkan Khalifa Al Khalifa, Executive Director of the Legislative Sector at the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development; Issa bin Hader, Executive Director of Strategy and Economic Competitiveness Sector at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism; Abdullah Mohammed Al Hantoubi, Deputy Director of Fujairah Municipality; and Faisal Rashid Al Shamsi, Director of Standards and Labour Systems Department in Sharjah.

Representation from MoHRE

Representing the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), Khalil Al Khoori, Undersecretary for Human Resources Affairs at MoHRE; Ayesha Belharfia, MoHRE’s Undersecretary for Emiratisation Affairs; along with several other officials were present.

The Council will continue to review reports and local as well as international statistics on the UAE labour market to bolster its global standing. The collaborative efforts are expected to support Emirati citizens while attracting global talents.

With inputs from WAM