MoHRE to continue accepting applications for the third Emirates Labour Market Award until 31 August 2025

The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) will continue accepting applications for the third edition of the Emirates Labour Market Award until 31 August 2025 through the award’s official website: riyada.mohre.gov.ae.

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, the award is the first of its kind in the UAE. It recognises outstanding and pioneering labour market practices at private sector companies and honours distinguished members of the workforce.

Applications will be evaluated by expert committees based on key criteria, such as recruitment and empowerment, occupational health and safety, creativity and innovation, talent attraction, labour relations and wages, and social responsibility, in addition to comprehensive standards specific to each category. Winners will be selected according to the highest competitiveness benchmarks and later honoured at a ceremony hosted by MoHRE in November 2025.

The third edition of the award features an expanded list of winners, increasing to nearly 100, up from the 84 winners honoured in the second edition. Winners from all categories will receive valuable prizes, including cash rewards for individuals, while companies can look forward to receiving a wide range of benefits related to MoHRE services, enabling them to make significant financial savings and ensuring easier access to said services.

This year’s edition also introduces a new subcategory under the Labour Accommodations category, designed to encourage companies to adopt sustainable entertainment initiatives and activities for their workers, particularly during national holidays and festive occasions. This, in turn, enhances workers’ productivity, promotes positive values among them, and strengthens their sense of belonging as productive members of a society that embraces the values of compassion, loyalty, and national unity, while ensuring compliance with laws that protect their rights and ensure their wellbeing and quality of life.

The award includes five main categories, the first of which, the Establishments category,  honours 40 winners, recognising companies that implement best practices in human resource management based on criteria including recruitment and empowerment, talent attraction, workplace environment and worker wellbeing, innovation, and future readiness. To win, companies must demonstrate the highest levels of compliance with workplace standards across various economic sectors.

The second category is Outstanding Workforce, where 30 winners are awarded under three subcategories: Skilled Workforce, which recognises skilled workers, evaluating them based on achievement, lifelong learning and development, and social responsibility; Workers at Other Professional Levels; and Domestic Workers. Winners in the latter two subcategories are assessed based on their achievements and social responsibility, with nominations submitted by companies, the community, employers, and families.

Meanwhile, 10 winners will be honoured under the Labour Accommodations category, which recognises the best investments in labour accommodations that adhere to the highest workers’ housing standards. A new subcategory has been introduced under this category to recognise companies that support and implement sustainable initiatives to enhance worker wellbeing and organise recreational programmes and activities that foster a sense of belonging, loyalty, and national unity.

The Business Services Partners category will see 3 winners honoured at the event, under its three subcategories: Domestic Worker Recruitment Offices, which recognises leading recruitment offices that follow best practices with both workers and client families; Employment Agencies, where the top-performing hiring agencies that implement best practices to attract and promote skilled talent for the labour market are honoured; and finally, Business Service Centres, which acknowledges business service centres that empower their human capital to deliver outstanding services to businesses across the UAE.

The fifth and final category – Special Recognition – includes two subcategories, the first of which honours Pioneering Companies and will award 12 winners, recognised for their impactful practices that positively influence the labour market. These include support for the full implementation of the Unemployment Insurance Scheme, Savings Scheme, and health insurance system, as well as success in developing training, qualification, and recruitment programmes in partnership with higher education institutions, among other relevant initiatives. The second subcategory – Influencers – will honour 3 winners, recognised for their contributions towards raising awareness of UAE labour laws and initiatives.