Sharjah 24 – WAM: The UAE affirmed that developing new strategies to upskill workers and enhancing business environments for employers are necessary to prepare for the digital future of work.
This came during a speech by Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation and head of the UAE delegation, at the 48th Arab Labour Conference, held from 18th to 25th September in Cairo, Egypt.
Dr. Al Awar said that young people are the fastest group to not only adopt new technologies but also to keep pace with disruptive innovations that create new business models. "Developing integrated strategies that ensure the availability of qualified workers can contribute to building diverse, flexible, competitive and knowledge-driven economies," he said.
He added that the UAE is preparing for the next fifty years by building human capabilities in new fields that align with the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. "By accelerating priority sectors and adopting advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the Emirates aims to become the most competitive and attractive economy in the world," he continued.
Digital transformation has been a government priority in the UAE for decades, Al Awar stated. "In 2000, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, announced the e-government programme, which formed the cornerstone of the nation's digital transformation," he noted.
"The UAE government has approved the UAE Digital Economy Strategy, which aims to raise the contribution of this sector to 20 percent of the total non-oil national economy in the coming years. Our nation has also established The UAE Digital Economy Council, which seeks to support the country's efforts to double the digital economy's contribution to the GDP in 2031," Dr. Al Awar further said.
The new labour legislations in the UAE boost strategic and qualitative change to the labour market and business environment, Al Awar said, explaining that investing in future jobs and industries must be developed with an integrated legislative and legal structure and an advanced digital infrastructure.
Dr. Al Awar was accompanied by senior ministerial officials and representatives of the business and workers communities.
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