The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) revealed that more than 7,700 applications have been received for the second edition of the Emirates Labour Market Award, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, marking a 120% surge from the 3,500 applications received in the first edition.

The award’s specialised committees have begun the technical and field evaluations of participants’ submissions, in preparation for announcing the 90 winners who will be honoured in a special ceremony in November.

Dalal Al Shehhi, Director of Strategy and Future Department at the Ministry, said: “The notable increase in participation in the second edition of the Emirates Labour Market Award underlines its significance and success in fostering competitiveness in the private sector and encouraging best practice in all fields. This, in turn, serves to boost the competitiveness of the UAE labour market and business environment, as well as workers’ wellbeing and quality of life.”

“The award represents a pioneering vision and trajectory for the UAE labour market, focusing on key areas that highlight companies’ excellence and competitiveness across various economic sectors,” she noted. “It emphasises the integrated nature of the business sector and highlights the role of the workforce, in all its categories, in driving their establishments’ success and sustainability. By recognising and supporting these practices, the award aims to ensure their continuity and development, which would contribute towards the UAE’s strategic goals to be a global leader across various sectors.”

Al Shehhi went on to explain that the judging panels consist of evaluators, specialists, and international experts in labour, labour market sectors, work environment quality, and other areas related to labour market competitiveness. She stressed the panels’ impartiality and transparency at every stage of the evaluation process across all five categories of the award: Establishments, Distinguished Workforce, Labour Accommodation, Business Services Partners, and Special Recognition.

The award is sponsored by some of the largest companies in the UAE, including DAMAC and Majid Al Futtaim groups as diamond sponsors; the Insurance Pool, Binghatti Properties, Aldar Group, and Emirates NBD bank as platinum sponsors. Additionally, sponsors in the gold category include Emirates General Petroleum Corporation (Emarat), Sobha Realty, du, and AW Rostamani Group, while silver sponsors include Dubai Duty Free, NMDC Group, and ADNEC, with Al Habtoor Group joining as a bronze sponsor.

The Emirates Labour Market Award offers a total prize pool of approximately AED37 million, with winning companies receiving a package of benefits, including classification in the first category of MoHRE’s rankings, discounts on services from the Ministry, priority in processing transactions, addressing technical challenges, and premium call centre service.

Awards for individuals include a cash prize of AED100,000 for the first-place winner, AED75,000 for the second-place winner, and AED50,000 for third place, along with other valuable prizes.