Certified assessors to evaluate applications
Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, and Patron of the Taqdeer Award His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said that the Taqdeer Award is rapidly moving towards achieving its goal of enhancing the reputation of the UAE as an exemplary labour market that sets the highest benchmarks in labour welfare practices.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan expressed his appreciation for the success of the first edition of the award, which witnessed strong participation and attracted considerable interest from outside the UAE.
He said the Taqdeer Award is an initiative inspired by the vision of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to make Dubai a city of the future, as reflected in recent major initiatives, including Dubai 10X.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan praised the efforts of the award teams and urged them to continue working towards achieving further success in the second edition, especially as the award has been expanded to include companies and factories operating in free zones, apart from construction companies in Dubai.
His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai also directed all organisations and companies to provide full support to the award and participate in this initiative, as well as demonstrate their keenness to ensure the welfare and care of their workers.
The Taqdeer Award is part of Dubai’s initiatives aimed at achieving excellence and ensuring the happiness and welfare of the people of Dubai, regardless of religion or nationality, and realising Dubai’s vision of becoming one of the world’s best places to work and live.
Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai and Chairman of Taqdeer Award, expressed his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his patronage and support for the award. “This valuable support strengthens the award and positions it to reach greater heights. The award has received a lot of interest from overseas organisations that are keen on implementing the award in their countries,” he said.
Addressing a press conference to announce the launch of the Taqdeer Award’s second edition, he further said: “We expect the second edition of the award to be even more successful in helping enhance the UAE's regional and international reputation in the field of worker welfare."
“The award will ensure that workers’ rights are protected in accordance with international conventions and according to the highest local and international standards."
Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor expressed his appreciation for the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) to provide a safe and motivating work environment for workers. He also commended the Ministry for its work in developing legislative and legal frameworks that safeguard the rights of workers and provide them a decent way of life.
Thanking His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed for his support for the Taqdeer Award, His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni, Director General, Dubai Airports Free Zone (Dafza) and Chairman, World Free Zones Organisation, said this support reflects the keenness of Dubai government to protect workers’ rights and ensure their happiness.
His Excellency Dr. Mohammed Al Zarooni praised the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed for the second edition of the Taqdeer Award. “The patronage of His Highness reflects the importance the wise leadership of the UAE places on ensuring the well-being of the workforce and the preservation of their human and labour rights, as well as recognising their tireless efforts and their role in building the future. The Dubai Free Zone authorities pay particular attention to the labour practices of foreign companies by encouraging them to follow the highest standards of safety and security to ensure the protection of workers' rights and their wellbeing," said Dr. Al Zarooni.
His Excellency added: “The opportunity for free zone companies to participate in the Taqdeer Award encourages them to compete in providing maximum care and welfare to their labour workforce, and recognises those who follow world-class practices in safeguarding labour rights. According to recent statistics from the Dubai Statistics Center, there are more than 338,000 workers in 34,000 companies in the free zones in the Emirate of Dubai, which makes the Award very competitive. The award positively translates and emphasises the need to comply with the directives of the UAE and Dubai's wise leadership in offering the necessary means to ensure the happiness, satisfaction, and wellbeing of all people, including workers."
Scope of the award
In its first cycle, the award focused on construction companies and included over 280 companies that employ a total of more than half a million workers.
Due to its success and the high interest it has generated, the award has been extended to companies working in the free zone, ahead of the initial 2019 target for including these companies.
In the second edition, the award will be open to factories and construction companies that employ more than 100 workers.
According to the Dubai Statistics Centre, there are over 9,854 factories operating in Dubai across categories. Dubai also has over 283 companies and more than 500,000 workers in the construction sector.
The Taqdeer Award will be open for nominations soon. A team of certified experts and evaluators will assess the applications to select the companies and factories that provide the best working and living conditions for their employees as per the award criteria. In addition to outstanding workers, awards will also be given to engineers and supervisors.
Launched under the patronage of Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Taqdeer Award is the world’s first points-based award programme for recognising excellence in labour welfare practices and seeks to promote international best practices in labour welfare. The Award also seeks to raise awareness among workers about their rights.
Companies can participate in the Award by submitting a comprehensive submission document, which will be thoroughly evaluated by a Judging Committee. Based on the evaluation, the companies will be awarded a rating of between one and five stars.
Winners of 5 and 4-star ratings will receive a certificate, enjoy priority in government projects, and will be honoured at an award ceremony to be held next year. These top ratings will give companies a competitive advantage in bidding for international contracts.
View News Headlines
