The Dubai Integrated Economic Zones Authority (DIEZ) has launched its strategic human resources (HR) plan for 2024-2026, marking a significant milestone in DIEZ’s journey to develop a comprehensive HR system. This system aims to create a work environment that enhances the performance of human resources and talents within DIEZ and its affiliated economic zones, thereby increasing employee loyalty and retention.
This HR strategic plan aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to advance government operations and systems and improve the quality of life, positioning Dubai among the top three cities globally in terms of living standards.
The strategic plan is built on five main pillars: investing in staff, developing an optimal work environment, increasing levels of Emiratization, adopting the most effective and advanced systems, and leveraging human resources as business developers. This step aims to accelerate operations, support clients, enhance economic savings, and adopt modern technologies, fostering a positive, constructive, and flexible work environment that meets the demands of future jobs.
Innovative Concepts
Yousuf Behzad, Chief People & Organizational Development Officer at DIEZ, said: “DIEZ is committed to adopting various plans and strategies to enhance and sustain a flexible work environment within the Authority and its affiliated economic zones. This involves identifying human resources requirements, especially in light of the increasing reliance on AI technologies, ensuring we anticipate and meet the demands of future jobs. Implementing advanced technologies such as AI is a top priority for our human resources department, as it aims to improve the quality, speed, and efficiency of government services. Additionally, this enables UAE talents to achieve their full potential in various fields through ongoing support, training programs, and qualifications.”
“With the launch of this strategic plan, which aligns with the objectives of Dubai’s Quality of Life Strategy for 2033, approved by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, we aim to achieve new levels of employee satisfaction at DIEZ. This will be accomplished by adopting innovative concepts in government innovation to develop human capital and encourage both national talents and global innovators.
This approach reinforces workplace and community well-being, ensures professional and personal development, and enhances the authority's and its economic zones' position among the best workplaces in the UAE, particularly in Dubai. Ultimately, we support the vision of making Dubai a global city of innovation and creativity,” Behzad added.
Emiratization as a Priority
DIEZ is committed to increasing Emiratization rates within the authority and its economic zones as part of its strategic priority to develop a robust human resources ecosystem. The authority aims to achieve several key objectives in this area, particularly by preparing UAE nationals for leadership and senior roles, which currently boast an Emiratization rate of 88%.
The authority has successfully appointed over 40 Emirati talents across various departments in the past two years, reinforcing its commitment to providing the best job opportunities and career development for UAE nationals. Additionally, in 2024, DIEZ achieved a remarkable 98% retention rate of its total employees from 2023, reflecting the outstanding work environment it offers to its staff.
New Initiatives
The strategic plan encompasses several initiatives and programs aimed at achieving key outcomes, such as accelerating client service processes, enhancing financial efficiency, and continuously adopting the latest technologies in business support services. Key initiatives and programs include launching an employee entrepreneurship program, a youth skills and leadership development program, an Emirati graduate program and a national talent attraction and capability development program. This is in addition to other initiatives which focus on enhancing employees’ physical and mental health.
Prestigious Government Programs
DIEZ has successfully engaged and graduated employees from numerous prestigious training, qualification, and development programs in both the government and private sectors. These include the Government Accelerators Diploma, the Dubai Future Experts Program, the Executive Diploma Agility in Government Management, and master’s in law & financial crimes, among others offered by top colleges and universities.
Additionally, DIEZ is committed to collaborating with both government and private sectors. Recently, it partnered with Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Dubai, its strategic educational partner, to implement joint research projects and provide internship and professional training opportunities for university students at DIEZ. This partnership also includes sponsoring DIEZ employees pursuing advanced degrees at the university. Furthermore, DIEZ collaborated with RIT – Dubai University to offer preferential tuition rates for academic and executive development programs for its employees and the companies in its economic zones, underscoring DIEZ's commitment to nurturing talent and fostering innovation within its ecosystem.
Moreover, the strategic plan includes a series of initiatives to increase workplace flexibility for employees, aiming to boost productivity and foster sustainable development. Additionally, it involves establishing a comprehensive rewards and incentives system, developed through an in-depth study conducted by DIEZ in collaboration with experts and consultants. This system seeks to create a competitive work environment that attracts top talent and enhances employee satisfaction.
Keeping Pace with Digital Developments
DIEZ recently launched a series of initiatives aimed at embracing technological advancements to benefit employees by enhancing efficiency and productivity. Among these is the implementation of Microsoft 365 Copilot within its operations to accelerate innovation, drive digital transformation, and adopt the latest advanced AI-powered solutions. These tools aim to streamline DIEZ’s processes and those of its affiliated economic zones, enhancing operational efficiency and boosting employee productivity to empower DIEZ to focus more on delivering exceptional and pioneering services to all investors and clients. Additionally, DIEZ will introduce a digital assistant platform that integrates various applications to support daily tasks, such as content creation, communication, and presentation development. Leveraging AI and machine learning, this platform will deliver precise, data-driven outputs.
Comprehensive Business Model
DIEZ encompasses three well-established free zones: Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai Silicon Oasis, and Dubai CommerCity. It employs an integrated approach among these zones to enhance their role in bolstering the national economy and building an ecosystem that serves all strategic sectors, ultimately enhancing the competitive capabilities of the Emirate of Dubai.