UAE: Research is key in enhancing human capital development and workplace resilience

Khaleej Times

7 hours ago

In an era of innovation and experimentation, success belongs to those who rapidly adapt to changes, learn swiftly, and evolve with intention. For governments, this can be achieved by transitioning from fixed systems to fluid thinking and from routine processes to a culture rooted in research and reflection, while efficiently managing human resources as well as their core strengths.
Dubai is a trailblazer in this regard, as exemplified by the city's exponential rise rooted in ambition and an exemplary vision for the future. As the emirate's workplace culture undergoes a paradigm shift due to emerging technologies, expectations and values, the need to embrace evidence-based decision-making practices is greater than ever.
Research must be treated as a catalyst for empowerment, not merely an academic pursuit. Across Dubai's government entities, a growing emphasis is being placed on turning data into decisions, and insights into action. There is also a renewed focus on fostering highly resilient workplaces where decisions are primarily shaped by evidence, talent development, future anticipations, and employee wellbeing.
Furthermore, scientific enquiry empowers employees by offering them the requisite tools to ask the right questions as well as the courage to make changes when the situation demands it. Organisations can ensure that their team members continue to learn, grow, and thrive in their professional journeys, while creating impactful systems and HR policies that prioritise employee wellbeing.
The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR) has been instrumental in institutionalising this approach. Through our strategic initiatives, including the recently launched 'Research Awards', DGHR is helping to build bridges between academia and government. This is a strategic initiative aimed at enhancing scientific research, human capital development, and long-term investment in knowledge. Implemented in collaboration with several prestigious universities - including Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University, and Rochester Institute of Technology Dubai (RIT Dubai) — the initiative reflects Dubai's commitment to turning insights into action.
The emirate of Dubai is continuously creating space for exploration by connecting government institutions with academia. Ongoing collaborations between various government entities and leading educational institutions are a prime example of this. These play a critical role in identifying, testing, and implementing future-ready workplace strategies.
Such collaborations also transform research from theory into practice, from papers into policies and ultimately, from insight to impact. Furthermore, students and government employees can unlock a brand-new era of learning-based growth that is inclusive, sustainable, and smart by working together to tackle questions of workplace culture, skills of the future, and the realities of HR systems.
It is critical for organisations to understand that Dubai's global competitiveness rests not only on its robust infrastructure and investment opportunities, but upon its capable, curious, and future-ready workforce as well. A holistic ecosystem that values knowledge, rewards inquiry, and turns research into real change, is necessary to continue nurturing world-class talents who can support the Emirate's ongoing growth journey.
Hence, workplace-based research should be viewed as a strategic imperative which guides all organisational functions from hiring to employee training. This will help build a highly resilient workforce that not only responds to change but evolves with it. Moreover, to positively transform government workplaces, it is essential to address unanswered queries, led by the resilience and courage to seek innovative solutions.
The writer is Director General of Dubai Government Human Resources Department.