UAE’s national workforce grows 11% as skilled workers rise 13%

Abu Dhabi: Dr Abdulrahman Al Awar, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Chairman of the Supervisory Committee of the UAE Labour Market Leadership Award, has confirmed that the national workforce grew by more than 11% over the past year, while the number of skilled workers increased by over 13%.

He noted that more than 156,000 Emiratis are now employed in the private sector as of the end of October 2025. The number of private-sector establishments also rose by more than 14%, reflecting the strong confidence of employers and investors in the UAE’s economy.

Speaking at the ceremony honouring the winners of the third edition of the UAE Labour Market Leadership Award, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), Dr Al Awar said that celebrating best practices in the labour market supports the UAE’s vision to build a competitive, knowledge-based economy, enhance the business environment, and shape the future economy — positioning the UAE among the world’s fastest-growing economies with high levels of performance.

He added that, thanks to the vision of the UAE’s leadership, the national labour market now ranks first globally across several competitiveness indicators — a source of great pride and motivation to achieve even more, through continued collaboration with the private sector and the national and global workforce driving it forward.