State Ministers for Entrepreneurship&Foreign Trade, ICA discuss ways of attracting talents, tourists

ABU DHABI -- The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, ICA, held a coordination meeting with Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small & Medium Enterprises, SME, and Minister in charge of Tourism, and Dr. Thani bin Ahmad Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Minister in charge of Talent Attraction. This meeting was held during the visit made by both ministers to ICA headquarter in Abu Dhabi, where they were welcomed by Major General Mansour Ahmad Al Dhaheri, ICA Director General, Major General Saeed Al Rashidi, Director-General of Foreigners and Ports Affairs, and Brigadier Suhail bin Kaltham Al Khaili, Acting Director General of Identity and Passports.

The delegation was briefed on the workflow mechanism proposed by the ICA as Major Yousef Abdallah Al Hammadi, Director of Strategy and Future Department, provided a presentation about the milestones of strategic approach development and the national policy for attracting the best human talents and cadres to the country and the proper techniques for retaining them. Further, the meeting discussed the steps and measures to be taken for developing & enhancing the tourism to contribute to increasing the Gross Domestic Production, GDP. ICA further overviewed its initiatives supporting human talents and tourism sector as well by setting clear, transparent mechanisms for granting visas and permits and laying down benchmarks and criteria for Golden Visa and its beneficiaries. Moreover, ICA outlined the procedures applicable in respect of the small and medium size enterprises and the standards set for issuing the Establishment Cards.

Both ministers Al Falasi and Al Zeyoudi praised the efforts made by ICA and its adoption for well-informed and flexible policies in granting the different types of visa in addition to its groundbreaking initiative in this respect. These innovative initiatives reflect the guidelines of the wise leadership aiming at boosting the leading position of the UAE as a favorable destination for the human talents and innovative minds from all over the world. This initiative contributes to reinforcing the policy of knowledge transfer through attracting the distinguished human talents of critical disciplines in various areas of modern sciences and humanities.

Al Falasi said: “Human talents attraction represents a key milestone for developing the innovation and investment in human capital within the UAE. This policy will allow the entrepreneurs, especially for the local SMEs, to optimise such new knowledge and positively employ them in their commercial activities. He also added: “This strategy will contribute to enhancing the state’s efforts for empowering the entrepreneurs and allow them to gain the best skills and techniques leading them to be successful in their enterprises in the administrative, operational, productivity and marketing aspects.”

Al Falasi further added: “Cooperation with ICA will also involve the tourism sector since the policies and innovative services adopted and rendered by ICA will contribute to improving the experience of both international visitors and tourists and thus enhancing the UAE standing as an attractive tourist destination.”

Form his part, Al Zeyoudi said: “We will closely work with our partners in the ICA to expand the experiences and knowledge base owned by the UAE in different areas through supporting and retaining the expertise existing within the country as well as to attract the best human talents around the globe.''

Al Zeyoudi further added: “This strategy will boost the technology, scientific researches and innovation transfer and localization. It also will support the UAE effort towards generating knowledge-based economy in line with the National plan 2030 and the UAE vision on the long run as per the UAE Centennial 2071.” wam