His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah, on Sunday attended the opening of the 5th GCC HR and Labour Market Executive Conference held under the theme: “Gulf human capital, a promising wealth”.

The two-day conference organised by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Expo Centre Sharjah was addressed by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Vice President of the Federation of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Abdul Rahman S. Al Otaishan, Chairman of the Federation of Chambers of the Gulf Cooperation Council; and Khalifa bin Said Al Abri, Assistant SecretaryGeneral for Economic and Development Affairs at the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council. 

Also among the speakers were Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Bahrain’s Minister of Labour and Social Development and current Chairman of the GCC Labour Ministers, and Fayez Ali Al Mutairi, Director General of the Arab Labour Organisation.

The opening session was attended by Saqr Ghobash, UAE Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation; Khaled bin Butti, Director General of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Executive Director of Expo Centre Sharjah; Mariam Saif Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General for Logistics at Sharjah Chamber; and the directors and employees of a large number of public and private sector organisations in the UAE and other GCC countries.

His Highness Sheikh Sultan and the other attendees watched a documentary about the development of the conference organised by Sharjah Chamber in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

The Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Sharjah was presented with a shield by the Sharjah Chamber in recognition of his patronage of the conference. His Highness also honoured the speakers, sponsors and supporters of the conference.

Sheikh Sultan then opened the exhibition accompanying the conference and took a tour while being briefed on the services provided by Sharjah Chamber and its affiliates at the event. He also visited the pavilion of the Sharjah Forum for Development, which is hosting 30 young people from the Sharjah Leadership Programme.

Abdullah Al Owais delivered a presentation on the importance of human resources as the basis for the sustainable development of any society. He pointed out that the GCC countries have given priority to Gulf citizens while building the foundation for improving human lives based on a shared common vision and the wise guidance and support of the leaders of these countries.

“Global and regional economic upheavals that have resulted in persistent low oil prices have affected the revenues of hydrocarbon producers and their rate of economic growth. This has had a knock-on effect on investment in projects that provide new employment opportunities,” Al Owais said.

“The GCC countries have the vision and the resources to lead economic growth in the post-oil economy and thereby expand the opportunities for human development, training and employment in the public and private sectors while laying the foundations for the establishment of more small and medium-sized investment projects,” he added.

New Award

Al Owais announced the establishment of an award to recognise and honour Gulf enterprises employing the highest number GCC citizens under the name “Sharjah Gulf Localization Award”. The first edition of the award, under the aegis of the Sharjah Economic Excellence Award in cooperation with the Federation of Chambers of the Gulf Cooperation Council, will be presented in 2018.

The guest of honour, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Bahrain’s Minister of Labour and Social Development and current Chairman of the GCC Labour Ministers, affirmed the efforts of GCC governments to achieve their vision and development plans to provide citizens with a higher quality of life and to achieve the goals of social welfare and security.

He emphasised the importance of reforming the education and training sector, which has a direct impact on the development of human resources in line with global best practice.

Humaidan reviewed the Kingdom of Bahrain's experience in supporting its human resources and ensuring continued development. He said the strategic plans of the Bahraini Government depended on an effective partnership with the private sector, which is the main generator of employment opportunities for citizens.