Abu Dhabi: The UAE will continue to improve respect for human rights and provide decent lifestyles for workers, despite criticism by the US State Department report on human rights in the country, Gulf News has learnt.

The Minister of Labour, Saqar Gobash Saeed Gobash, conducted a tour to Al Raha Workers Residential Village in Musaffah, Abu Dhabi, on Wednesday to ensure the highest standards of living are provided to workers.

The tour was also attended by Ahmad Luqman, director general of the Arab Labour Organisation.

“We respect reports published by different organisation and we take them into consideration if they are objective because our mission is to provide a suitable living environment in terms of health, human and social well being of workers. However, the recent report by the US State Department was not balanced and based on a very week survey,” Gobash told Gulf News.

“We believe that workers are important segments of the society. We have worked hard to provide them with the latest facilities and services to feel stable and secure. Establishing such a huge workers residential village needs a lot of time. Any changes should be studied very well so we don’t impose burdens on employers in the country. Since the last visits, we have raised [the] efficiency of other workers villages,” he added.

Al Raha Village is about 40 kilometres away from Abu Dhabi city, on an area of 233,000 square metres.

The village has all amenities and facilities such as shopping centres, commercial outlets, clinics and health centres, security posts, post office, clubs and recreational centres.

“I am pleased with the services offered in the village. Facilities provided to workers here in the country is similar to what I have seen in other foreign countries. Several social, sporting and recreational activities are provided for workers, which can really increase their productivity and refresh their day,” Luqman told Gulf News.

Capacity

“Since my last visit to the UAE, there has been a huge progress in terms of services provided. I urge to conduct more regular visits to control and resolve any employment disputes,” he added.

Around 25,000 workers live in Al Raha Workers Residential Village, which has the capacity to house up to 30,000 workers from different nationalities.

Most of the workers are from oil and gas companies, hotels and others.

“We have about 1,000 workers, who provide several services and maintain high hygiene standards. We also provide balanced meals with different types of protein. It is noteworthy to mention that absence rate in companies, which have its workers in our village, has been decreased compared to other companies,” Hesham Sidani, operations manager at Al Raha Residential Workers Village, told Gulf News.

“Workshops are regularly held for workers to express their concerns and ask for their rights,” he added.

The village has been constructed at the highest specifications of modern services and amenities.

Facilities at the village include dining halls, laundries, a hospital and pharmacy, supermarket and green pitches for sports events.

Principles

“There is a plan to establish a village for women workers, which can accommodate up to 50,000 workers. Up to date, Abu Dhabi has around 20 worker villages and about 300,000 workers. Another seven villages are in progress to increase the overall housing capacity to 450,000 workers,” Khadem Al Muhairi, the acting CEO of the Higher Corporation for Specialised Economic Zones, told Gulf News.

The UAE has been very restrained in its earlier request to the US State Department to revise its annual human rights report on the country.

“Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are an essential part of our principles. While some countries have had centuries to build societies based on human rights, we are proud of the progress we have made in the 42 years since our country was founded. We have created a tolerant, multicultural society in which people of many different nationalities worship freely in churches, temples and mosques. All citizens and residents have access to education and health care,” The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced earlier.