World Bank Praises UAE's Policy Action for Empowering Women

• The UAE was hailed as a leading human development model by the World Bank
• World Bank Regional Director Fadia Saadah promoted the country's work-life balance and women's labor market participation

The World Bank has selected the UAE as the world's top case study in terms of human development and policy action to promote women's and youth empowerment.

According to Fadia Saadah, the Region Director of Human Development, Middle East and North Africa, Afghanistan, and Pakistan Region, at the World Bank, the UAE has developed an integrated model to foster work-life balance and women's participation in the labor market through labor law changes and early childhood and childcare investment.

Following the release of the World Bank's flagship report, "Embracing and Shaping Change: Human Development for a Middle East & North Africa Region in Transition," Fadia stated in a recent interview with Emirates News Agency (WAM) that the UAE's 2022 labor law changes allowed for flexibility in employment with part-time, temporary, remote, and several other employment options for young people and for women.

She also spoke about the updates made to parental leave policies added in 2021, action designed to support work-life balance and women in the workforce.

Furthermore, she noted that the UAE's investment in early childhood development and affordable childcare is designed to empower women and give the youth much-needed skills for the future.

Fadia presented the examples of the UAE's liberalized labor mobility policies, which include the Golden Visa, Green Visa, job search visa, and remote work visa, as actions that other MENA countries could adopt.

These policies, in addition to a host of tools like unemployment insurance, wage protection, and hiring regulations, help to promote labor protections and economic resilience.

The World Bank report found that human capital investments in MENA has been improved, however, continued investments are necessary for inclusive and sustainable growth.

It also identified three major trends that are going to be important for the region in the future: aging population, climate change, and technological transformation.

Fadia stated that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries might focus on aging and digitalization; middle-income countries may prioritize fiscal reforms, and lower-income or fragile countries should prioritize enhancing human capital and institutional resilience.

Saadah concluded that with ongoing commitment and collaboration, the MENA region can turn today’s challenges into opportunities for sustainable and inclusive development.