“Remote work is here to stay. Let us embrace it together…”

The UAE Government has published a new study that calls for more companies to embrace remote work, finding that it boosts productivity and the ability to attract talent.

The white paper study, titled Remote Working in the UAE, was comissioned by the UAE government to examine the best practices for remote work, and future adaptation of the policy. Released by the UAE’s Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications Office, the report uses both local and international case studies and concludes that, “The overall direction is clear: remote working is a much bigger opportunity than it is a threat.”

In its preface, the report details that remote working has extensive economic and workplace wellbeing benefits, and describes flexible working options that support remote work as ‘compelling’. “Evidence shows that a hybrid work model that combines a traditional centralised workplace with a working from home option, as well as other forms of remote working, can increase productivity, inclusivity and workforce wellbeing,” the report reads.

It lists additional benefits as a wider pool of candidates to choose from when ‘no longer constrained by physical proximity to a fixed office location,’ and also recognises the positive impact remote work would have on traffic congestion, something the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is ‘currently studying.

At the Remote Forum in Dubai, Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office, said that we should move away from regarding remote working as a temporary trend and see it instead as a “competitive advantage that improves the quality of life of residents and visitors of the UAE.”

In its chapter on policy development, the report recognised that some organisations remain skeptical about the value of remote working. In response, it outlined that “government policy should be to encourage positive remote working leadership.”

The conclusion

In its conclusion, Remote Working in the UAE concluded that four key points were central to implementing remote work:

  1. Leadership: Leaders are required to empower the organisation to achieve new targets, and clearly communicate why and how the organisation is moving into remote or hybrid working 
  2. Trust: Remote working only succeeds in an atmosphere of trust, where staff are empowered to work proactively with less in-person supervision
  3. Skills and tools: Remote working requires new skills and tools, demanding a digital-first culture and can only thrive when employees have a readiness to upskill and utilise unfamiliar platform
  4. Policy: A final success factor for the hybrid work model is clear organisational policy on the rights and obligations of workers in any workplace setting. Procedures should be transparent and targets should be clear

The full report can be viewed here.

Lead image: Unsplash