The Taqdeer Award has begun accepting submissions for its 4^th edition, it was announced on Monday. Organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council, the Award’s 2020 edition is set to attract wider participation after it expanded its eligibility criteria to include factories, Dubai free zones and construction companies. Following the expansion, the number of workers covered by the award increased to more than one million.

The Taqdeer Award, which recognises firms that implement global best practices in labour rights protection,  is the world’s first points-based award programme focused on promoting employee welfare.

The initiative is a new addition to the Government of Dubai’s awards programme that celebrates excellence and creativity and promotes innovation across economic sectors. The Award aims to increase happiness, as part of realising Dubai’s vision of becoming one of the world’s most preferred cities to live and work in.

His Excellency Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor, Deputy Director General of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-Dubai) and Chairman of Taqdeer Award, expressed his gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for supporting the award.

He said that His Highness’s support motivates the Award team in achieving excellence in strengthening worker-employer relations, protecting the rights of both parties, and building an economy and society that serve as models for happiness, employee retention and high performance.

Since its launch in 2016, the Award has won praise from international labour rights organisations as well as media and officials around the world who have expressed interest in implementing the initiative’s objectives in their countries. The Award has played a key role in enhancing the UAE’s reputation in worker welfare.

The Chairman of the Taqdeer Award further said the organisers have started receiving submissions for the fourth edition of the Award. To be eligible for this year’s Award, companies should have more than 100 workers, he noted.

HE Major General Obaid Muhair bin Suroor said that starting this year, the Taqdeer Award will be organised biennially instead of annually. This move is aimed at giving companies more time to improve their work environments and standards based on the recommendations of the final assessment reports issued to participating firms at the end of each Award cycle.

He urged contracting firms, factories and companies based in free zones to participate in the Award, as this will help them enhance their reputation. All participating companies will receive assessment reports that will help them build on their strengths and address weaknesses. The Award provides an opportunity for companies and factories to enhance their readiness for the future and enhance business sustainability.

A team of specialised assessors will begin evaluating the submissions and selecting the companies and factories that provide the best working and living conditions for their workers, in accordance with the Award’s criteria that are based on international best practices. The team will also select distinguished workers, engineers and supervisors for the Award from participating companies and factories.