Dubai: A fun-filled day in Dubai brought together workers, companies, and the community, promoting a deeper message: worker well-being. The SpringFest 2024 was organised by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) of Dubai on Saturday, February 24, and with the help of the Taqdeer Award.
From basketball, football and volleyball, to badminton, squash and fun games for the whole family, the gathering brought together employees from various companies and industries for a day of sports, entertainment, and connection.
At the event, Major-General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director-General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, Chairman of the Permanent Committee of Labour Affairs in Dubai, and Chairman of the Taqdeer Award, spoke to Gulf News about how the event was aimed at creating a positive environment for the workforce.
He said: “Today, we celebrate this initiative from RIT. We are very happy to be here, as the goal of Taqdeer Award is to create such an environment for the workforces in Dubai. Through this initiative, we see all the different categories of workers participating playing different games. We are very glad to see all the participants here. In Dubai, our goal is to provide a healthy and supportive environment for all workers.”
In Dubai, our goal is to provide a healthy and supportive environment for all workers.
Saleh Yammout, Vice President of RIT, also elaborated on the event’s purpose – strengthening the connection within the local community by bringing together companies, partners, and the public.
He said: “This event was about bringing together our corporate and strategic partners, and the wider public in a day of sports and entertainment, as part of our commitment to strengthening our relations with the local community. We have been joined by over 40 companies to take part in a range of competitive sports, and with the support of our partners – Taqdeer Award, we have been able to reach out to blue collar workers and other local workers to join us in a programme of events that aims to empower individuals, promote employee wellbeing, and create a sense of community across our neighbourhood. The day was a great success, and we look forward to scaling up the event in future years to build stronger connections and empower more people through competitive sporting activities set in this welcoming and collaborative environment.”
The day was a great success, and we look forward to scaling up the event in future years to build stronger connections and empower more people through competitive sporting activities set in this welcoming and collaborative environment.
The event is just one of the many ways in which Taqdeer Award promotes the highest workforce welfare practices in Dubai. Tarek Emara, from China State Construction, one of the companies that has participated in three cycles of the Taqdeer Award, highlighted the impact the award has had in promoting welfare of manpower in Dubai.
Emara said: “Taqdeer Award started in 2016 and once we came to know about it, we were one of the first companies to participate. We believe this is a one of its kind programme worldwide, building up criteria from the International Labour Organisation and local legislation and its main objective was to improve the standards of the labour welfare. The main thing that we have experienced is that the programme is designed in a way that it educates the companies about what they need to be thinking of in terms of managing their workforce – setting up proper regulations, proper system for complaints and receiving grievances from labourers and resolving them and also how the organisation will be selecting effective indicators in order to measure these approaches and continuously improve in their performance.
“We participated in 2016 and have been learning a lot since then. Our rating at that time was two stars and we took this feedback and started improving. We came back in 2020, when we received four stars in a five-star rating system. In the next cycle, too, we received a five-star rating. So, it is a continuous journey to excellence, which has no limits.
“Now, the programme is going to be on a seven-star rating system, so it is building on the existing system for all stake holders to benefit and to further improve labour welfare standards. For the success of any programme the factor the engagement is very important, so such events create that engagement between the organisers and the companies that are participating in the Award. At the event, staff members from various levels, including managers, white-collar employees, and workers, gathered to participate in games, enjoying a day of relaxation and fun after a week of hard work.”
The [Taqdeer Award] programme is designed in a way that it educates the companies about what they need to be thinking of in terms of managing their workforce – setting up proper regulations, proper system for complaints and receiving grievances from labourers and resolving them and also how the organisation will be selecting effective indicators in order to measure these approaches and continuously improve in their performance.
The award is given out every two years, after a rigorous cycle of evaluation and assessment is conducted by independent assessors from across the world.
Ghanaian expatriate Salifu Mohammed and Crescen Peter, both working in Dubai for two years, expressed their appreciation for the event. The two workers from Danway Electrical and Mechanical Engineering viewed it as a welcome break from their work routine, a stress reliever, and an opportunity to connect with colleagues and the wider community.
Mohammed said: “This game is one of the best games I have ever attended. Thanks very much for this opportunity. I think in the future if this continues it will help most of our colleagues, since it helps ease the stress it will definitely make a difference.”
His colleague Peter, added: “For one day we come here and we play … it is very enjoyable. We are all here together we got a very good reception here, too. I really want to thank the Taqdeer team for organising this for us.”
