Technical meetings, workshops, and policy discussions are shaping the labour mobility agenda.
Dubai: The UAE and the Philippines have begun preparations for the next phase of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, outlining plans for a series of workshops and technical meetings to strengthen cooperation on labour mobility and migrant worker welfare.
The roadmap was discussed during a meeting between UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar and Philippine Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Cacdac on the sidelines of the 114th International Labour Conference in Geneva.
The Philippines currently chairs the ADD for the 2026–2028 cycle, while the UAE serves as the platform’s permanent secretariat.
Key regional platform
The Abu Dhabi Dialogue is one of the region’s leading forums on labour migration, bringing together labour-sending countries in Asia and destination countries in the Gulf.
“As a premier regional platform, the ADD brings together labour-sending nations and Gulf countries to strengthen cooperation, share expertise, and develop best practices that protect and benefit temporary migrant workers, employers, and economies alike,” said the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in a statement.
Preparations under way
Ahead of the high-level discussions of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue, UAE Secretariat Undersecretary Shaima Yousef Al Awadhi has held talks with the Philippine delegation led by DMW Undersecretary Jainal Rasul Jr.
The meeting focused on the dialogue’s thematic agenda and the series of technical meetings scheduled to be hosted in the Philippines next year.
Officials said these sessions will help identify priorities and develop recommendations for the next phase of regional cooperation on labour migration.
Looking ahead to 2028
The technical meetings are expected to pave the way for the ADD Senior Officials’ Meeting and Ministerial Consultation in 2028, where participating countries will review progress and discuss future policy directions.
For the UAE, the dialogue remains an important mechanism for fostering collaboration with labour-sending countries and promoting fair, efficient, and sustainable labour mobility systems.
Meanwhile, the latest discussions have underscored the close cooperation between the UAE and the Philippines, as both countries work to advance initiatives that benefit migrant workers, employers, and economies across the region through the Abu Dhabi Dialogue.
