The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) will begin receiving applications for the first edition of the Emirates Labour Market Award on Thursday, 1 June 2023, via the website https://riyada.mohre.gov.ae/

The application period is scheduled to close on 31 August 2023, with desk and field assessment taking place in September, and the award ceremony to be held in November.

The award, which was approved by the UAE Cabinet in March, is held annually under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE’s Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Presidential Court, and organised by MoHRE, with the aim to enhance the UAE labour market’s competitiveness, increase productivity, and promote the wellbeing and quality of life of the workforce across private sector establishments in the country.

The Ministry invited private sector companies and workers to submit their applications under the award’s three categories: the Establishments category, which aims to acknowledge leading establishments that have continually managed employment relationships in an exceptional manner; the Workforce category, which targets outstanding workers who have served the UAE’s business sector and community; and the Business Service Partners category, which acknowledges companies that support the development of leading labour market practices.

The Establishments category

The Establishments category includes a main category and six subcategories, divided according to the size of establishments into small, medium, large, and very large. Under the main category, the award is granted to the leading establishment in the market, committed to adopting best practices in human resources and ensuring compliance with work environment regulations and standards. The Establishments category has seven winners for each establishment size and a total of 28 awards: seven categories (one main and six subcategories) times four establishment sizes (small, medium, large, and very large).

The category is based on six specific criteria, including employment, empowerment, and attracting skilled labour practices; occupational health and safety practices; practices related to employment relationships and wages; workforce wellbeing and quality of life; most futureproof establishment; and outstanding workers’ housing.

To apply for this category, the nominated establishment must have operated in the labour market for at least two years; it must not be government-owned and must not have been penalised for violating any of the UAE’s labour laws during the previous year; and it must comply with the nomination application and the award’s timeframe. Establishments that have previously won the award cannot participate again until two sessions have passed since they were awarded.

The Workforce category

The Workforce Category targets outstanding workers who have contributed to the UAE’s businesses and community. It has three subcategories: Skilled labour with higher professional levels, and unskilled labour, with professional levels six and below, which involves a set of main criteria, including achievement, creativity and innovation, continuous learning, and social responsibility. The third subcategory – General Nominations – is open to all workforce types, recognising outstanding community service, and receiving nominations from government entities, private companies, or members of the community.

Under the nomination requirements for the Workforce category, participants must have worked at the establishment for no less than one year from the date said establishment began operations; they must not have committed any violations of the norms set by MoHRE; and finally, participants must not have been filed against labour complaint or abscond from work during the previous year. The category has three winners for each subcategory, with a total of 12 winners.

The Business Service Partners category

The third category of the award honours Business Service Partners, namely the companies that contributed to the development of pioneering labour market practices. The category has three subcategories, the first of which is granted to leading domestic workers recruitment offices in the market that apply best practices, provide appropriate support to their domestic workers, and ensure families receive their required services.

The second subcategory, employment agencies, is awarded to the leading recruitment agencies that apply best practices to attract qualified human resources according to labour market needs, thus increasing productivity and raising efficiency, while the third and final subcategory, business service centres, is granted to leading business service centres that apply best practices to enable their workers to provide distinguished services to the business sector in the UAE.

Each subcategory will have one winner, with a total of three prizes to be awarded annually. The winning entity must have been operating in the labour market for at least two years; it must not be government-owned; nor have been penalised for violating the UAE’s labour laws during the previous year; the establishment must comply with the nomination process and the award’s timeframe; and establishments that have previously won the award cannot participate again until two editions have passed since they were awarded.

The Emirates Labour Market Award is supported by a number of sponsors, led by Diamond Sponsor DAMAC Properties, Platinum Sponsors Emirates NBD Group and du, and Gold Sponsors Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Commercial Bank of Dubai, and Al-Futtaim Group. Meanwhile, the Silver Sponsors are Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mashreq Bank, Dubai Insurance Co., Mediclinic Middle East, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), and maids.cc domestic workers recruitment company, whereas the Bronze Sponsors are Lulu Group International, Chalhoub Group, Al Nukhba business service centre, Al Saada domestic worker service centre, Dubai Refreshments Company, and Falak Tayyeb government service centre, with Emirates News Agency (WAM) and Abu Dhabi Media as media partners.