Since its inception in 2008 as an Emirati initiative, the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) has become a major regional consultation forum on labor and employment issues. It provides a platform for voluntary consultation and exchange of ideas among governments of Asian countries that send workers to these countries. Over the past thirteen years, ADD has succeeded in deepening knowledge of labor markets and supporting the efforts of member countries to address the challenges of transition to work and identify the opportunities available to governments to address these challenges following a clear vision that ADD provides for the reality and future of transition to work in the Asia region. The willingness of member countries and relevant international organizations to actively participate in ADD's programs and activities is a clear indication of its importance and effective role in improving migration governance in the Asian region, in bringing points of view closer together and in building bridges of trust among member governments. It also reflects the sincere desire of the various parties to engage in informed and responsible dialogue as an approach to their joint efforts in maximizing the development benefits of the temporary contractual work cycle and maximizing its development impact on the societies of the 11 Asian sending countries and the receiving countries, which include the GCC countries and Malaysia. With the adoption of the agenda for the next meeting during the Sixth Consultative Ministerial Meeting of Member States held in the United Arab Emirates from 25 to 28 October, ADD enters a new era of cooperation among Member States to better address the challenges of the "COVID -19" pandemic, invest in technology to improve labor dispute resolution mechanisms and facilitate the transfer of labor skills from sending to receiving countries. This is in response to changes in the world of work and aims to integrate a gender perspective into employment policies to support women's work and improve international cooperation on labor and migration and their development impact. As the representative of the Government of the United Arab Emirates at ADD, MOHRE will continue to provide all forms of support to ADD to ensure that it remains a global model for regional partnerships.
Written by: Abdullah Al Nuaimi
Assistant Undersecretary for Communication and International Relations at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
