UAE chairs 11th meeting of BRICS Employment Working Group 2025
DUBAI (WAM) The United Arab Emirates has chaired the 11th Meeting of the Employment Working Group (EWG) of the BRICS countries, held on April 25, 2025 in the Brazilian capital, Brasília.Heading the meeting reflects the UAE's central role and the prominent position it has established within BRICS since joining the group nearly two years ago, and highlights the added value that its pioneering experience in labour market development brings to the table.The meeting discussed means to address pressing social and employment issues confronting labour markets, including technological advancements and climate change – emerging matters that negatively impact labour markets and require developing inclusive and just governance models for labour and employment policies.Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, asserted the UAE's commitment to promoting greater cooperation among BRICS countries to ensure the workforce's readiness in the face of rapid technological change, facilitate a just climate transition, and build a more sustainable future.'Artificial intelligence has become a pillar of the UAE's global positioning as a destination of choice for living, working, and investment,' he said in his address. 'AI provides a real opportunity to improve quality of life, increase productivity, and elevate societal wellbeing. The UAE is committed to deploying AI across all sectors, building a strong base of national talent, and developing a sustainable and prosperous economic ecosystem.''The UAE has developed a strategy to increase AI's contribution to its economy, where estimates predict that artificial intelligence is set to account for around 13.6% of the country's GDP and enhance operational efficiency by up to 50%," Al Awar added.'The UAE embarked on its journey with artificial intelligence early on, in line with its wise leadership's forward-thinking vision, which strives to position the UAE at the forefront of nations in terms of AI-powered innovation by 2031,' Al Awar explained, noting that various national strategies and programmes have been launched to enhance the country's future-readiness.He went on to highlight the accomplishments made with regards to aligning academic disciplines with future skills, which have enabled the UAE to leap to 7th place globally in 2023 on the 'Relevance of the Education System to the Economy' metric of the INSEAD Global Talent Competitiveness Index, up from 12th place in 2019.'The UAE currently ranks second in the world in attracting and developing AI talent, and among the top five nations for AI competitiveness,' Al Awar explained, revealing that the Emirates is expected to rank third in the world in terms of AI's contribution to the GDP by 2030, according to a report by PwC. 'The UAE also ranks first in the region in utilising digital solutions to develop public infrastructure, and is progressing firmly towards global digital leadership.'He went on to note that 'the UAE's commitment to social protection and ensuring fair and equal working conditions aligns with its efforts to integrate AI into the labour market.''This is particularly true given the country's pioneering and innovative social protection umbrella,' he added, 'which covers all categories of work, including non-standard work models and platform-based workers. Legislation is also continuously undergoing updates, including provisions to facilitate flexible work, enabling skilled professionals to work independently, remotely, or on a project-based basis.'Al Awar further highlighted the UAE labour market's remarkable growth in 2024, which included a 12% increase in the overall number of workers, 13% in skilled workers, and a 17% growth in the number of companies, stressing the country's commitment to provide a modern legislative structure that caters to labour market needs and rapid global economic developments.On the climate change front, the Minister noted that the UAE was the first country in the region to implement a policy to address heat stress concerns, introducing a mandatory midday break in 2005, which has since become an annual occurrence.'The UAE is focusing efforts on the development of flexible and sustainable labour policies that reduce its carbon footprint and enhance occupational safety standards, particularly in climate-vulnerable sectors,' Al Awar said. 'The Emirates is also keen to sustainably expand its innovative social protection programmes, most notably the Unemployment Insurance Scheme and the voluntary end-of-service 'Savings Scheme', which in turn enhances the competitiveness of the country's workforce, as well as its resilience and adaptability in the face of climate-related disruptions, among others.'
The Minister stressed the value of encouraging public-private partnerships, aligning educational and vocational training outcomes with the requirements of the green economy, and strengthening relations with higher education institutions to deliver programmes specialising in renewable energy.
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